Soul Eater
by Amarxlen
Summary: Memories can be fickle things. They can warp and change and take on new meaning with a simple suggestion. But there are some things that the heart innately knows, even if the mind can't understand it. And in her heart she knows there's more to her story than anyone could have imagined.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Cover art by mar_is_art on Instagram.

* * *

 _Chapter 1_

Waves lapped at the shore, calmer than they had been just earlier that day as they washed away the footprints excited children had tracked across the beach. With every wave that reached land, the footprints faded just a little bit more. A gentle breeze rustled the coconut trees. The sun had long since set and sent the children of Destiny Islands home — all except for three.

Tiny feet pounded across the sand as they ran, two little boys and a girl, caught up in their game of make-believe.

"Hey guys, wait up!"

The older two of the trio turned towards their brunet friend, watching as he doubled over with his hands on his knees.

"C'mon, Sora, keep up!"

Sora looked up at them with a petulant look on his face.

"You guys are going too fast!"

"Nuh uh, you're going too slow!"

"I'm going as fast as I can," Sora protested, straightening up and running to close the distance between them.

The little blonde girl turned and looked at their silver-haired friend.

"Do we hafta run so fast, Riku?"

One hand on his hip and the other holding his wooden sword, Riku looked his two friends up and down.

"I thought we were having a race. You can't call quits in the middle just 'cause you're losing!"

"Aw, c'mon, can't we just call it a tie?"

Riku took in the pouting look on Sora's face and then he smiled.

"Alright, Sora. Just this once it's a tie! But you won't get out of it so easy next time!"

This seemed to perk Sora right up. He put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest with a wide grin.

"Next time I'll win!"

"You guys can call it a tie, but this time I win!"

Both boys turned and looked at where their friend was now standing underneath the bridge of the paopu islet, grinning at them cheekily. She giggled at them, hands gripping the hem of her pale green sundress as she rocked back and forth on her feet.

"No fair, Natsumi! We weren't ready!"

"It's not my fault you guys weren't paying attention! Besides, I never win."

"That's 'cause you're the shortest."

Natsumi scrunched up her face, narrowing her eyes at the boys before sticking her tongue out at them.

"I am not! Sora is!"

"Hey!"

"What? It's true!"

"It's fine, Sora."

Sora turned to Riku in confusion.

"Natsu wins this time." Riku smiled as he made his way over to join them underneath the bridge. "And that just means next time we can't hold back."

"Alright!"

"What? You mean you weren't even trying?"

While Natsumi cheered, Sora kept asking Riku what he meant by "not holding back" and the three friends were almost too caught up in their argument to notice what was happening in the sky.

Suddenly Natsumi gasped loudly, letting go of her dress and darting forward to grip each of her friends by the arm.

"Look! A shooting star!"

Three pairs of eyes reflected the starry skies, watching in wonder as one of the stars broke off and fell down to the ocean below it.

"There's another one!"

Sora pointed up at the sky, finger following the star as it fell.

"Hey, Riku?"

The eldest of the three looked down at Natsumi. Her bright green eyes were still focused on the sky, shining with the starlight. Her lips were parted and she didn't look at him as she spoke again.

"What was that story you know? The one about other worlds?"

Riku turned his gaze back to the sky.

"Every world is connected by the same sky. Even our world shares the same sky. So any of the stars up there could be another world."

"Even the ones that are falling now?"

There was a long pause, stretching out between the three of them. Natsumi turned to look at Riku. Next to her Sora leaned forward to look around her at their friend.

"Riku?"

He seemed to come out of a trance, meeting her gaze.

"Yeah, I guess." He once again looked up at the sky. "Even the ones falling now."

The three friends lapsed into silence and returned to staring at the stars as they fell. As they stood there, arms interlocked and watching the sky, Natsumi felt a strange stirring within her heart — a pull from something invisible and unnameable.

She didn't understand this feeling. She was happy with her friends on her island, so why was it whenever she looked up at the sky or out over the ocean she felt… weird? Like there was something not quite right here, some puzzle piece missing and skewing the picture that was her life. And she felt like it had something to do with the castle all the adults told her was make-believe, but that she knew she remembered. The only ones who believed her about it were the two boys she was currently clinging to so fiercely.

Her two dearest friends in the whole world and yet… standing there watching the meteor shower, she couldn't shake the hungry feeling in her heart, the one that compelled her to reach her arms heavenward and want… _more_.

"What would you do if one of them fell right to us?"

Sora gave a little jump and clenched his fists in front of him.

"I'd smack it back up! Like "bam"! And make it stay!"

"I'd hold onto it." Natsumi clapped her hands together, imitating catching one of the stars and watching as it fell past her hands and into the ocean. Her eyes danced feverishly. "Like this, and keep it forever."

Saying the words helped alleviate some of the longing that was building up inside of her.

"You guys can't do either of those things."

"Can so!"

"Nuh-uh. It's a whole _world_ , it's way too big."

"So what would you do?"

Riku paused, staring up at the stars thoughtfully.

"They're all falling into the ocean anyways."

"Yeah, but if one _did_ fall to us. What would you do?"

"I'd go exploring and have a real adventure." He looked down at the wooden sword he was still gripping tightly in his hand.

"But you'd take us with you, right?"

"Yeah, you can't go all by yourself, Riku! You need friends to go with you," Sora insisted.

A smile spread across Riku's face as he looked at his friends, Natsumi giving him a gentle smile and Sora staring at him with determination.

"Yeah, I guess you guys are right. We can go together!"

"Yay!"

Sora and Natsumi wore identical grins, taking each other's hands and jumping up and down.

"We're gonna go exploring!"

They broke apart from each other and Natsumi grabbed Riku's hands, giggling uncontrollably. Sora was still grinning at both of them, reaching up and interlocking his fingers at the back of his head.

"Sora, Riku, Natsumi!"

All three kids stopped and turned towards the dock where an older woman was waving to get their attention.

"It's time to head back!"

"Coming, Mom!"

Sora immediately began running across the sand, leaving Riku and Natsumi to follow behind him.

"Aww, I don't wanna go back yet."

Natsumi pouted, but even so began following Sora towards his mom, still holding on to Riku's hand.

"We can come back tomorrow. Sora says he saw a monster in the Secret Place, but I don't think I believe him."

"A monster?" The little girl's fingers tightened around Riku's hand. "A scary monster?"

Riku shrugged.

"I dunno. Maybe. Sora doesn't seem scared."

"But Sora _likes_ scary things."

There was a small pause before Riku answered.

"Would you be scared if there was a monster, Natsu?"

Natsumi scrunched up her face.

"Nuh-uh, no way!"

"It's okay if you are."

"But I—" She huffed before continuing. "Okay, maybe I'm a little scared."

Her gaze found the sand, kicking some of it up as they walked along.

"Hey."

Riku squeezed her hand, and waited for her bright green eyes to look up at him.

"You don't gotta be scared, Natsu. Sora and I, we'll protect you!"

He smiled at her, lifting up his wooden sword to emphasize his statement. Natsumi felt her cheeks warm despite the soft breeze coming in off the ocean and her lips stretched into a smile.

"Really? You promise?"

"Promise."

"Hehe, thanks Riku!" She looked back down the beach, seeing that Sora had already reached the dock and was hugging his mom's leg and that she and Riku were almost there too. "But…"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"I wanna protect you guys too."

Riku reached up, clumsily rubbing the back of his head.

"Well… I guess that's alright. We can all protect each other."

Natsumi's smile widened and Riku couldn't help but return it.

"Forever and ever, right?"

"Yeah. Forever and ever."

"You guys are such slowpokes!"

Sora had let go of his mom's leg and was now watching as Riku and Natsumi finally stepped onto the dock.

"We weren't racing this time, Sora."

"You're just saying that 'cause I won."

"Alright, come on now, Sora. Riku, Natsumi, it's time to get you home before your parents start to worry. It's already late."

"Can we come back tomorrow?" Sora asked as he clambered down into the boat that would take them across the short stretch of ocean that separated the main island from the island the children played on.

"I don't see why not."

"Awesome!" The brunet turned to look back at where Riku had climbed into the boat and was now helping Natsumi down from the dock. "I can show you guys where the monster lives!"

Riku didn't answer right away, instead turning to Sora's mom after he finished helping Natsumi into the boat.

"Thank you for coming to get us, Emiko," Riku said, always aware of his manners.

Once all three of the kids were settled into the boat and huddled up together talking about the adventures they would have and what they would do if they actually did find a monster in the Secret Place, Emiko began rowing the boat back to the main island. The trip was short. It was only a matter of minutes later that they reached the main island and the kids waited patiently while Emiko tied the boat to the dock. She helped each of them out, lifting them up one at a time by their hands, swinging Sora and Natsumi a bit as she did so because it caused them to giggle uncontrollably.

Sora, Riku, and Natsumi rushed a little ways ahead of her, racing down the dock and onto the beach, heading back in the direction of town. Suddenly, while Riku and Natsumi continued forward, Sora stopped.

"Sora? What's wrong?"

He looked over his shoulder at his mother.

"There's something down by the water," he said, pointing off down the shore.

A dark shape was laid on the normally empty beach and Emiko looked towards it with a frown. Things didn't often wash up on the beach, and the sight of it was off-putting.

"I wonder what it is!"

"Hey, Sora!"

Before she could stop him, Sora was running down the beach towards the object, and then it was only a matter of time before Riku and Natsumi were following, curiosity getting the best of them.

"Don't run off!"

None of the kids listened. The only thing she could do was run down the beach after them, catching up just as the trio leaned down to look at it. Sora knelt down into the sand, tilting his head and looking at the object. It only took a moment of inspection for his deep blue eyes to widen and then look up at his mother.

"Mom, it's a girl!"

Her eyes widened as well before she darted forward, pulling all of the kids away and pushing them behind her. She knelt down into the sand, turning the girl so that she was lying on her back. The girl's eyes were closed, her red hair clumped together with salt from the ocean and sticking to her face. She couldn't have been more than five years old. Emiko immediately reached out two fingers to feel for the girl's pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when she felt it there.

Suddenly she was gathering the girl into her arms and standing up before turning to face Sora, Riku, and Natsumi.

"Let's go. You kids are going to Sumie's to stay the night."

Emiko started quickly walking back up the beach and towards the path that would lead them into town.

"Mom?" Sora asked.

"Yes, Sora?"

"...Is she okay?"

Emiko's face softened as she looked down at her son. For a moment, her eyes also found Riku and Natsumi who were once more hand in hand. At Sora's question, Natsumi reached out and grabbed his hand as well. Each of their faces wore varying levels of concern and Sora looked to be near tears.

"I think so."

"Can we come with you...?"

"No, sweetie. You'll stay at Natsumi's tonight. Everything's gonna be okay."

They fell into silence, following Emiko as she walked quickly back into town. She stopped briefly to drop the kids off with Natsumi's mom and explain the situation, and then she was gone, leaving three children confused and slightly frightened. Sumie readied space for them to sleep, not saying anything when the three of them grabbed their pillows and blankets and instead huddled together on the living room floor.

The petite woman stood in the doorway, brown eyes watching them for a moment as Riku and Natsumi settled in on either side of Sora, both of them wrapping their arms around the youngest.

"It'll be okay, Sora."

"Yeah, your mom said that girl will be fine."

Sora sniffled and nodded but didn't say anything.

"I betcha we can go see her when she wakes up."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, we'll all go see her!"

"...okay. That sounds good."

Eyes growing heavy, Sora, Riku, and Natsumi cuddled closer together. Right before they fell asleep, Riku whispered a few final words of comfort.

"Everything's gonna be okay, Sora. Promise."

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello everybody! If you've read this far, thank you for joining me in this new version of Soul Eater — a completely rewritten and reimagined version from the first one. It's gonna be quite a bit different than last time and I hope you'll be able to put what you know from the past iteration of the story and enjoy this one all the same. Natsumi is still the childhood friend of Riku and Sora, but since posting the original Soul Eater in 2014 there were maaaaaaany tweaks and complete overhauls I wanted to make and let's face it, my writing is drastically different and much improved. This chapter, revisiting their childhood, is just the first of those overhauls! I hope you enjoyed it, and if you have time, please leave a review!


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

"See that?"

Riku was standing inside the Secret Place, looking up at the rock ceiling where there was a large hole partially covered with leaves letting in flashes of sunlight. The wind had picked up, a clear sign that a storm would be hitting the islands in the near future, but for now the sea was still calm enough for the kids to be ferried over to the play island. They'd woken up bright and early with questions about the girl that had been found the previous morning. In an attempt to distract them, Sumie had volunteered to take them over to the play island, promising that she would let them know when the girl was well enough for visitors.

And so the three children had decided to go see if there was a monster in the Secret Place like Sora had said there was.

"It was just the wind making that noise."

"Aw, man. I wish it was a monster!"

Despite his words, Sora didn't seem too disappointed by the fact that there wasn't a monster in the Secret Place. He stood with his hands laced behind his head, looking around the cave. Natsumi was secretly relieved that there wasn't a monster after all, even though she'd pushed down her fear and stepped out from behind Riku, ready to face whatever might be lurking in the darkness. She'd promised to protect her friends, and no scary monster was gonna stop her!

With no monster there to fight, the three continued to explore the cave, climbing up on top of rocks and searching behind them. Natsumi let her hand trail over the cave walls as she ventured further. She watched Sora and Riku, giggling when Sora jumped down from a rock proclaiming "Maybe there's a monster… back here!" only to look immediately disappointed when there wasn't.

"Owie!"

Natsumi's eyes were drawn to the ground, where she'd just stubbed her toe on a rock.

"Are you okay, Natsu?"

Riku's voice drew her attention, finding that both the boys' gazes were on her. She grinned at them in reassurance, throwing out her hand in a thumbs up.

"Yeah! I'm fine."

"What happened?"

"I stubbed my toe," she said easily, bending over to pick up the offending rock and show them. Suddenly her eyes brightened. "Hey, it's really sharp! I betcha we could use it to draw pictures on the walls!"

Sora was immediately crossing the cave towards her.

"Like what kinda pictures?"

"Well…" Natsumi hesitated briefly. "Oh! I could show you what my castle looks like!"

Her dress lifted up a bit as she twirled towards the wall and began scraping the rock clenched in her tiny fist against it.

"The one you were building on the beach that day?" Riku asked, referring to the sand castle that he and Sora had accidentally trampled the day they met the little blonde girl. He had joined Sora and Natsumi over by the cave wall.

"Yup! It was up reeeeeally high on a cliff, so the bad people couldn't get us. I could see the whole world from my room!"

"I wanna draw something too!" Sora proclaimed, and then he scampered off into the cave, searching for a rock like the one Natsumi had.

"What else do you remember, Natsu?"

Natsumi looked up at Riku, her green eyes meeting his aqua stare. She really liked his eyes. They reminded her of the way the sea looked close to shore — permeated by the sun and inviting her in. Riku liked to ask her about what she remembered from before she'd met them, from when she'd lived in the castle. She didn't remember much, but she always tried to tell him something new when he asked.

"Hmmm, I remember my room was big. Really big! Like the size of my whole house now."

She kept scratching at the wall, adding a turret to the castle she'd already crudely carved out.

"And when I looked out the window I could see a bunch of trees. It was always just me and Mom, too. I don't remember anyone else."

Riku reached out and pressed his fingers against the outline of her drawing.

"Did the trees look like the ones here?"

"Some of them. Not the ones that are spiky and skinny. The ones at home… looked like those green things my mom tries to make us eat!"

Riku laughed.

"You mean broccoli?"

"Yeah, that!"

"Hey guys!"

Riku and Natsumi turned towards Sora. He'd wandered further into the Secret Place and now they could only see him when the leaves that covered the hole in the ceiling were blown away from it completely and let the sunlight in. He was looking at them expectantly, his hand pressed up against a wooden door.

"Look at this."

"A window?" Riku asked, pulling his hand away from Natsumi's drawing and walking over to Sora. He too placed his hand against the door. "Or maybe a door?" He reached out his other hand, running them both along the wood. "It won't open."

Natsumi abandoned her drawing and joined them. Looking at the door made her feel funny too, exactly the same way looking at the stars and the ocean did. Something inside of her wanted desperately for it to be open.

"Are you sure?"

The blonde reached out for the door too, placing her palms flat next to Riku's. The moment she laid her hands on it she felt… something. An almost pulsating feeling, like the door or whatever was behind it was alive. While Riku pulled his hands away, she left hers there. She almost didn't notice when he took a step away from the door and crossed his arms.

"Geez, is that really all that's in here?" Sora asked.

"What do you expect in a boring place like this?" Riku tilted his head back towards the door.

"I don't think it's boring," Natsumi said, glancing over her shoulder at them.

The silver-haired boy cast a cursory glance around the cave again, a small frown on his face. His eyes paused on the door before finding Natsumi's half finished drawing of the castle.

"When we grow up let's get off this island. I wanna go on real adventures, not this kid stuff."

"Sure," Sora said, grinning at his friends.

"You mean find other worlds?" Natsumi asked, finally pulling her hands away from the door and turning to face them.

"Yeah."

"Yeah!" Sora agreed readily. "Let's go find them all!" He clenched his hands into fists and started running towards the cave entrance.

"How do we get there?"

Sora paused, turning back towards Riku and Natsumi.

"Huh. I dunno. Riku?"

Riku looked between his friends, crossing his arms with a thoughtful look on his face.

"I don't know, either."

"That's okay! We'll find a way!" Natsumi grinned brightly.

"Yeah!" Sora cheered and then paused again. "But is there anything fun to do now?"

He began walking towards the entrance of the cave again, this time with Riku and Natsumi following him.

"We can go see if my mom will let us see the new girl," Natsumi suggested, leaning forward with her hands clasped behind her back.

Sora immediately brightened.

"Oh, yeah! Let's go see, let's go see!"

And then Sora was running back towards the docks, Riku and Natsumi following behind him.

* * *

The mayor's home was easily the largest on the island, located in the center of and overlooking the town. It sat off on its own, the closest building to it being the Town Hall, and then the school being just a little bit further away. Sora, Riku, and Natsumi had only seen the mayor's house a handful of times, and only while walking through town with their parents.

Now, though, the three children were approaching the two story dwelling — having received permission from Sumie to see the mysterious new girl. Sora barely contained his excitement during their walk through town, asking his friends what they thought she would be like, if she'd like to play sword fight with them and see the Secret Place, and most importantly, if she'd come from another world.

"She has to be from another world. That's why we never saw her before!"

"I bet she's really nice."

"Do you think she can tell us about her world?"

"Let's ask her."

"Do you think she'll like the seashells?"

Natsumi looked down at the seashells she held in her arms. When the three of them had returned to the beach after exploring the Secret Place, Sumie had not yet been back to pick them up. So the blonde girl had busied herself with finding the prettiest seashells on the beach to give to the new girl when they met.

"Yeah!" Sora turned and gave her a wide grin. "She's gonna love them!"

Natsumi giggled and smiled at Sora.

"I really hope she does."

"She will," Riku assured her. "You worked really hard to find them."

"You guys helped too. So they're from all of us!"

"Yeah!" Sora shouted again before his enthusiasm got the better of him and he ran the rest of the way up the walkway and to the door of the mayor's house.

The brunet stood up on his tiptoes to ring the doorbell, with Riku and Natsumi joining him just in time to hear the notes chiming. Sora was bouncing in place, and Natsumi kept sharing excited glances with Riku, her eyes looking back and forth between him and the door. Finally, after what seemed like forever to the three children, but couldn't have been more than a minute, the door was opening.

The mayor of Destiny Islands stood before them, a man of average height with dark hair and kind eyes. He looked down at the three children, not seeming at all surprised to find them there.

"Oh, hello there. What can I do—"

"Can we see the new girl?"

Sora's question was more of a shout as he took a step forward and looked past the mayor and into his house, trying to see where the little girl was. The mayor blinked in surprise, looking between all three of the kids. Natsumi was now shifting from foot-to-foot, Sora's excitement contagious, but trying to contain herself and remember her manners.

"Sora." The brunet turned at Riku's reproachful tone, giving him a sheepish grin.

"Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his head. Riku turned back to the mayor, using what Natsumi called his "special grown-up voice".

"Miss Sumie said that it was okay for us to see her."

"Ah yes, she did tell me you wanted to stop by today. Please, come in." Sora was immediately rushing past the man, with Natsumi not far behind. "Whoa, slow down there. Why don't you kiddos take a seat?" He pointed at the couch in the living room that opened up just past the foyer. "And I'll go get her for you."

"Okay!"

Sora's trajectory changed before the mayor was even finished speaking, climbing onto the couch. His wide blue eyes looked around the room quickly and then were finding the doorway where Natsumi and Riku were still standing. He kicked his legs idly, doing his best to wait patiently for the mayor to bring the new girl to them.

Natsumi and Riku followed Sora into the room, with Riku joining Sora on the couch. The little girl, however, decided to stay standing, not wanting to empty her hands of the seashells until she was giving them to the new girl. She shifted from foot-to-foot, just as excited as Sora was.

It was only a few moments later when the mayor was returning, and behind him was the little redheaded girl. Her face looked uncertain as she clutched onto the back of the mayor's pants, peeking out from around him and taking in the three unfamiliar faces in front of her. Sora and Natsumi grinned brightly at her, while Riku tried to make his smile look as encouraging as possible. The mayor's hand rested on the girl's head and he knelt down so that he was at eye level with her.

"Now, Kairi, this is Sora, Riku, and Natsumi. They're very excited to meet you." His eyes darted over towards the trio. "I'm going to give you kids some time to get to know each other, but if you need me, I'll just be in my study. Do you remember where that is?"

Kairi nodded.

"It's just one room over," he prompted. Kairi nodded again.

The mayor smiled at her, tousling her hair a little before he stood back up.

"You three be patient," he said. "Try not to overwhelm her."

"Over...whelm?" Sora repeated.

"He means don't scare her."

"Sort of," the mayor chuckled. "Just try to stay calm, okay?"

"Okay!"

The mayor paused for a brief moment, shaking his head with a small smile and then leaving the room. Kairi glanced over her shoulder after him, still looking uncertain at being left alone with three strangers. When she turned back towards them, Sora scrambled down off the couch and over to her.

"Hi Kairi, I'm Sora! I'm the one who found you last night."

" _We_ found you last night," Riku corrected.

"Right, we," Sora agreed, linking his hands behind his head and kicking at the floor as he grinned. "It was kinda scary!"

Kairi's gaze darted between the three of them.

"Are you okay?" Natsumi asked, and Kairi's eyes landed on hers. They were a startling shade of blue, with hints of violet within them.

The redhead nodded, and then she spoke for the first time.

"I don't… know how I got here."

Her lower lip trembled a bit as she said the words.

"Hey, it's okay!" Sora was immediately moving forward, grabbing the hand Kairi wasn't using to rub at her eyes. "It's fun here, and everybody's really nice. We can go to the beach and you'll see how pretty the ocean is! And we'll all be best friends. Right guys?"

The brunet looked over his shoulder at Riku and Natsumi.

"Right," Riku said, now getting down from the couch himself. Sora grinned at Riku's agreement before turning back to Kairi.

"See? So you don't hafta be sad, okay?"

Kairi looked between Sora and Riku, expression still a little uncertain. That was when Natsumi stepped forward, crossing the distance between herself and Sora and Kairi. Their eyes met, and Natsumi gave her a small smile.

"We brought you some seashells too. Do you wanna see?"

She held out her arms, accidentally dropping some of the shells to the carpeted floor.

"Oh no!"

Sora and Natsumi immediately knelt down to start picking them up, but had only managed to retrieve a couple before Kairi was joining them on the floor. Her small hands reached out to grab a shell, pausing for a moment when she brushed hands with Sora. The brunet looked up at her and smiled widely.

"Do you like them? Natsumi worked really hard finding them!"

"They're really pretty."

"We brought them for you," Natsumi explained.

The blonde stopped trying to pick up the shells, instead gently putting them one by one onto the carpet as Riku joined them on the floor. The shells she laid out were all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Kairi leaned forward with curiosity in her eyes to look at them.

"Have you ever seen seashells before?" Riku asked.

Kairi shook her head and reached out for one.

"No. Where do they come from?"

"The beach!"

"Or the ocean," Natsumi added.

"The ocean?"

"Yeah! You can't see it from here, cause of the trees and houses, but once you get down to the beach the ocean goes all the way to the end of the world."

Kairi's eyes widened as she looked up from the shells at the trio.

"Really? The end of the world?"

"Yup!"

The redhead looked back down and continued sifting through the seashells, her hand coming to rest around a tall one that was colored pink towards the thin end and yellow at the wider end.

"That one's called a Thalassa shell," Natsumi explained, carefully enunciating the word "Thalassa". "My mom told me that they're good luck and that sailors used to make them into charms to take with them when they sailed. But this one's my favorite!"

Natsumi reached down and grabbed a spiral shaped shell with one open end. She held it in her palm and presented it to Kairi.

"And if you hold this one up to your ear, you can hear the ocean! Here, try it."

Sora held out a rounded shell with a flat opening towards Kairi, who didn't hesitate to take it. All of the shyness and uncertainty she'd seemed to feel before was gone now, replaced by wonder at all of the trinkets she was being shown. She held it up to her ear like Sora said and her eyes immediately widened, looking at the three friends. They all grinned at her like they'd just let her in on some great secret.

"I can hear it!"

"When you're ready, we'll take you to the beach and you can hear it yourself," Riku said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun!"

"We can find even more shells."

"We can?"

"Sure," Sora said. "There's tons of shells down there!"

"We can even go to the play island and show you our Secret Place."

"What's that?"

"It's this cool cave we found! I thought there was a monster in it, but it was just the wind."

"We want to go on real adventures," Natsumi said. "We're all gonna go to other worlds! You can come too, if you want."

"I can?"

"Well, sure! We're friends now, right?"

For a moment, Kairi looked between the three friends. They were all grinning at her reassuringly, Sora leaning forward on his hands, Riku sitting opposite and leaning back on his hands, and Natsumi with her legs tucked underneath her as she maintained her grip on her shell. Any lingering fear or apprehension she'd felt seemed to fade away. Her lips stretched out into a wide smile as she answered.

"Yeah! Friends!"

"Friends forever," Natsumi giggled, grabbing up the thalassa shell that Kairi had put down to take the bigger shell from Sora. She held it out in her palm between the four of them and then looked up at Sora, Riku, and Kairi expectantly.

Riku was the first to place his hand down over hers, with Sora following shortly after. The three of them turned to look at Kairi. After only a moment's hesitation the redhead placed her hand down on the very top, grinning at the three of them.

"We'll always be friends," Riku said before Sora chimed in.

"No matter what!"

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm really, really enjoying this rewrite so far. It's so fun to get into the heads of little Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Natsumi and their simple views of things are so refreshing. I hope you guys enjoyed this scene of them all becoming friends and look forward to what the future has in store for them. I know I am! As always, thank you for reading, and if you have time, please review!


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

Green eyes stared dully at the front of the classroom, every so often flickering to the clock that hung above the blackboard while their teacher lectured. Swimsuits had been traded in for school uniforms, seashells for books and backpacks, and white sandy beaches for desks with uncomfortable chairs. The sounds of waves and laughter had been replaced by their teacher's voice going on and on and the sound of somebody idly clicking a pen over and over. Nobody wanted to be there, that much was obvious. But school had never before seemed as monotonous as it did now.

Natsumi glanced over at where Riku sat, diligently taking notes as she knew she should be doing. Head in her hand, she carefully squeezed in a few more key phrases she'd need to remember. Most of the page was already taken up by her doodles, nothing as good as what Kairi ever drew, but still good enough to tell what they were. Her notes were forced in haphazardly around sketches of paopu fruit and seashells, a tiny drawing of the door in the Secret Place, and a drawing that dwarfed the rest of them of the castle she still clung to after all these years.

 _Someday…_

She knew she'd be able to see it again someday with a certainty that was overwhelming. It didn't matter that everybody she knew — excluding Sora, Riku, and Kairi — told her that the castle wasn't real, that she'd dreamt it, and that she had an overactive imagination. With every fiber of her being she knew that it was real. But the adults never believed her and so she stopped fighting them, only speaking of it to her friends on the safety of their play island, in the dark of the Secret Place and nights where they all stayed up, whispering their dreams to the stars and hoping the worlds heard them. Riku, in particular, was always interested in what she had to say about the castle.

Somehow, some way, they would find that castle and prove everybody wrong. All they had to do was find a way to leave their island.

The blonde tapped the end of her pencil against her notebook, frowning. That was the tricky part. How were they supposed to get away from their island — and away from all the nagging voices telling them all what was what? It had been years since the four of them had sat on the floor in the mayor's house, promising to be friends forever and go on adventures to other worlds, and they were still no closer to their dream than they had been that day.

Once more, she found herself looking up at Riku, just in time to catch his eyes and the conspiratorial smile he sent her way. She grinned in response. She was sorely tempted to scribble out a note and pass it over to him, but their teacher had made it very clear that if she caught them at it again she'd separate them for the rest of the year. She didn't want to risk it, even if there were only two weeks left of the school year. Then if she wanted to pass him notes they'd have to go through other people's hands first, and she didn't trust that the girls who crushed on her best friend — some more jealous than others — wouldn't read them. Or frankly, that they'd pass them along in the first place. Natsumi wasn't exactly proud of this, but it was with no small amount of smugness that she watched him turn away each and every one of their classmates that confessed their crushes to him. None of them could break into the world that had been created the day they befriended Kairi, like she was a missing fourth puzzle piece and now they were all complete.

A sudden movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned to the window. Her eyes widened when she saw Sora peeking over the window ledge, just enough of his face visible that she could see the cheeky grin he was giving her. Next to him, Kairi wiggled her fingers in a wave. Natsumi looked quickly at the clock, seeing that her two friends should be in class, the same as her and Riku. Her mouth dropped open, a silent question on her lips as she turned back to the window, only to find that Sora and Kairi had ducked back down out of sight.

The last few minutes of class seemed to take longer than the rest of the day had and she anxiously tapped her pencil on her notebook until they were dismissed. She quickly packed up her things and stood, walking over to Riku's side where she plucked at the collar of his shirt. He looked up at her with a smile.

"Guess what those troublemakers are up to this time."

The blonde gestured over her shoulder towards the window. Riku's eyes followed her gesture and his expression turned exasperated.

"What are those two doing now?"

"No clue," she said, placing her hand on her hip and grinning. "Wanna go find out?"

Riku finished packing up his things and looked back up at her before giving her another smile.

"Might as well."

Natsumi held out her hand, helping him to his feet, even though he didn't really need it. Up until a few years ago she wouldn't have let go of his hand after that, holding on as they left the school and began their trek towards home. But that was before they'd gotten older and learned that holding hands now for some reason had different connotations. She didn't particularly care, not seeing the problem with it or really listening to what their classmates might whisper, sometimes even going along with them just to spite those whispering. Sometimes Riku didn't care either, letting their hands stay clasped like no time had passed from when they were five-years-old. This was one of those times. They let their hands stay linked, keeping them from getting separated as Riku led her through the crowded hallway and out the side exit to meet up with Sora and Kairi.

"Boo!"

As soon as they'd stepped out into the humid island air, Sora was lunging forward, separating Riku and Natsumi by throwing his arms around the eldest of their group.

"Nice try, Sora," Riku said, and in the next moment he had the brunet in a loose headlock.

"Ack, hey, Riku!"

Sora flailed against Riku's grip, but it was tight enough that he wouldn't be able to get away that easily.

"That's what you get for trying to scare us."

Riku was grinning deviously, seeming to hold Sora in place with very little effort.

"Lemme go!"

"Not a chance!"

Natsumi giggled at them and heard Kairi doing the same before the redhead was latching onto her arm. Kairi's eyes were shining mischievously.

"How'd you manage to get out of class so early?"

"Secret," she said playfully, putting her finger to her lips.

"Are you two ditching again?"

Kairi's eyes widened in mock offense.

"Us, ditching? Never!"

The blonde rolled her eyes at Kairi's theatrics but she couldn't stop herself from smiling anyways. Kairi's school tie was already loosened, hanging untied on either side of her neck. It was clear that while Riku and Natsumi had been slaving over their notes, the two younger teens had been out of class for quite some time.

"Uh-huh, sure."

Before Kairi could let out her comeback, Sora had broken away from Riku, huffing in frustration.

"No fair, Riku!"

The silver-haired teen wore a cocky smirk, running a hand through his hair and then crossing his arms as he took a step back from Sora.

"So what's that now? Three to one?"

Sora's face twisted into a frown.

"No way! This wasn't a real challenge."

"Seemed like a real challenge to me." Natsumi tilted her head and put her hand on her hip. "And it's actually four to one."

Sora immediately turned towards Natsumi, mouth dropping open in a look a betrayal.

"Natsumi!" His blue eyes flicked towards Kairi pleadingly. "Kairi, tell them. It wasn't a real challenge."

"Fine Sora," Riku cut in. "It wasn't a real challenge."

"Three to one it is then," Natsumi interjected.

"Besides, all challenges have to be refereed by me or Natsumi! So this challenge doesn't count."

The four of them had decided a few years earlier — when Riku and Sora had begun keeping track of and taking their challenges more seriously — that in order to avoid any serious disagreements either Kairi or Natsumi must be there to act as referee. Though it went without saying that sometimes the girls each favored one boy more than the other. Natsumi's eyes flicked over to Riku.

"That's true. We weren't paying attention, so we couldn't say who won that time."

"I guess that settles it," Riku said.

"Yup!" Kairi giggled at the same time that Sora let out a sigh of relief.

Riku rolled his eyes, but just like Natsumi hadn't been able to earlier, Riku couldn't completely hold back his fond smile.

"Alright, now that that's settled, anybody else want to get out of these uniforms?"

Sora, Kairi, and Natsumi each gave sounds of their agreement and without further discussion the four of them began walking away from the school and towards their homes. Like most residents of Destiny Islands, Sora, Riku, and Natsumi all lived close to the shore, while Kairi lived with the mayor, just as she had since she'd first been released from the small island hospital. It was routine for the teens to part just a little ways from the school, Kairi heading off towards her home with Sora accompanying her, while Riku and Natsumi took the branching path in the opposite direction. Usually, weather and parents permitting, they would meet back up and make their way to the play island.

Sora waved at Riku and Natsumi excitedly before turning back to Kairi, the two of them laughing together as they walked towards her house. Without thinking about it, Natsumi reached out for Riku's hand again, finding that he was already reaching for hers as well. For a few moments, they walked together in silence, looking out at the ocean that was coming in and out of sight.

"You know…" Natsumi began, and Riku turned his gaze to her. "I've been thinking a lot lately."

The blonde looked up and met his eyes, that castle flashing through her mind again.

"About what?"

"About that promise we made when we were kids. About how we'd get off this island and go see other worlds."

Her stare found the horizon again.

"I still want to," Riku said, his tone full of so much longing it caused her heart to throb in her chest.

He understood. Riku understood better than anybody the feeling in her heart that had been with her since they were children. At first she'd thought that the missing puzzle piece had been Kairi — and in a way, she was. Anything other than the four of them all together just seemed wrong.

But as Natsumi had grown up and the weird feeling hadn't gone away she'd realized she was restless and full of dreams that their island couldn't contain. She felt a pull when she looked at the ocean, the stars, when the four of them hid in the Secret Place to take shelter from the hot sun or sneak away from the other island kids and she saw the door that they still couldn't open. Sometimes, if her friends couldn't make it out to the play island or if they went home earlier than her, she'd find her way back to that door. She'd pry at the edges, knock on it, or even speak to it, her voice echoing back at her throughout the cave as she sat cross legged on the ground and tried to open it through the sheer force of her will. To her, it almost seemed like a living thing, though she of course never got an answer from it.

She wanted it open with a desperation that was all encompassing and unfathomable.

Riku's hand squeezing hers brought her back to reality and made her realize that his action was a response to her gripping his hand tightly. Natsumi looked up from her feet at him and then at the horizon. She recognized the treeline and the way the ocean stretched out in front of them from day after day of walking home with him just like this. They were almost back to their houses.

"Me too," she answered.

She stopped walking abruptly, the motion jerking Riku back and stopping him as he tried to continue walking. He turned back to her, and when their eyes met, hers were filled with a complicated wistfulness that quickly shifted to determination.

"So let's do it! Instead of just talking about it, let's actually find a way off this island."

The sun burned brightly above her, and the island breeze teased at her characteristic ponytail. She closed the distance between herself and Riku, reaching out and grabbing his other hand and her lips twitching with an impish smile.

"Let's find other worlds, Riku."

"Yeah, let's do it." His gaze turned to the horizon where the sky met the sea and he smirked. "I already have an idea."

"Really? What is it?"

Riku turned back to his excited friend, freeing one of his hands and putting a finger to his lips.

"It's a secret," he said mischievously.

The blonde's mouth dropped open.

"Hey, not fair! You gotta tell me!"

He laughed while shaking his head and tugged on her hand, but she resisted moving forward with him.

"I'll tell you when we meet up with Sora and Kairi," he assured her.

She pouted at him but accepted this response and allowed him to pull her forward to keep walking. Excitement was building up inside of her like the way the ocean pulled back from the shore before crashing onto the beach in an impressive wave. The thought of leaving the islands, of going on an adventure and finding that castle and proving wrong everybody who'd ever told her that it was just a childish fantasy made her heart race. She found herself echoing Riku's laughter and her mirth only increased when he looked back at her with a confused expression.

"C'mon," was all the explanation she offered before she darted in front of him, increasing their pace to a run.

Their feet pounded against the ground as Natsumi continued laughing and Riku joined in with her. Times like this, carefree and laughing with her best friend, made her wish she could stop time and stay in these moments forever. It was enough to make her forget, albeit for a short while, just how badly she wanted to leave the islands.

As they reached their houses, they let go of each other's hands with an unspoken agreement to meet back up after changing out of their uniforms. Natsumi raced into her house, slowing only slightly to greet her mom before she was shutting her bedroom door behind her a little more forcefully than she meant to in her excitement. Through her window she could see across the gap between her house and the next, and her smile seemed forever etched onto her lips as she caught eyes with none other than Riku.

She dropped her bookbag and crossed her room, pausing at the window just long enough to wink at him and singsong, "No peeking!" before closing her blinds. Stripping off her school uniform and tossing it haphazardly in the direction of her clothes hamper, she then pulled on her more comfortable casual clothes. Some time ago she'd traded in her little green sundress for high waisted grey shorts and a green crop top that she wore over a white camisole. She twirled in front of her standing mirror, catching her own gaze and reaching up to straighten her ponytail. A mischievous smile still tugged at her lips.

Her walls were adorned with photos of her and her friends, all showing a different special memory as they aged through the years. Glow-in-the-dark stars still stuck to her ceiling from the time she had convinced Sumie to let her put them up when she was eight-years-old. She longed for the stars and when she was younger she'd been thoroughly convinced that the ones on the ceiling had been plucked from the very sky by her mother. She knew now that wasn't the case, that nobody could reach up and grab or rewrite the stars, but they still made her room feel less claustrophobic.

 _Someday_ , she thought, and then corrected herself. _Soon._

Her stomach knotted in gleeful anticipation and she twirled her seashell bracelet — one she'd made with Kairi's help from the very same seashell that Riku had given her the day they first met. Soon couldn't come soon enough.

Fully changed, she left her bedroom the way she'd came, just about to step back into the sunlight when her mother called out to her.

"Natsumi."

The blonde paused with one foot past the threshold before sighing and backtracking to the kitchen where Sumie was cleaning what looked to be a freshly caught fish on the counter. Natsumi gave the older woman a smile and propped her head in her hands.

"What's up?"

Sumie looked up at her wryly.

"You're going out again?"

"Yup. To the play island with Sora, Riku, and Kairi."

"Will you be home for dinner this time?"

Natsumi looked up from where she was attempting to sneak a mango from the fruit bowl her mom kept on the counter. She found Sumie staring pointedly at where her daughter's fingers had just snaked around the fruit. Grinning sheepishly, Natsumi quickly pulled her hand away from the bowl and clasped it in the other one behind her back.

"Maybe," she said, drawing out the word.

Sumie sighed, fixing Natsumi with an exasperated look.

"And your homework?"

"I'll do it tonight with Riku."

"Your grades better not start slipping, young lady."

"They won't!" Natsumi's hand darted out and grabbed the mango she'd been reaching for earlier. "And if they did, I've got Riku to help me out. Bye, Mom!"

"Bring those three to dinner!"

"Got it," Natsumi called over her shoulder as she darted out of her house and headed towards Riku's.

She'd only gotten a few feet before she was colliding with somebody, only saved from falling backwards and onto the ground by the arm that wrapped around her waist. Looking up, she found herself face to face with Riku. The silver haired teen had also changed out of his school uniform and into his casual clothes. The playful smirk on his lips and close proximity sent her heart racing as she blushed, even as she smiled back at him.

"Ready if you are," he said teasingly, setting her back on her feet.

"I was born ready."

She smiled at him cheekily, tossing her fruit up in the air but before she could catch it Riku was smoothly intercepting it and taking a bite.

"Hey!"

Natsumi pouted, only half meaning the expression, since the three, and then four, of them had been sharing food with each other for as long as she could remember.

"Should've brought enough to share."

"You know I _always_ share with you anyways."

"Very true," Riku conceded, not even blinking when she reached forward to grip his wrist and take her own bite out of the mango.

"We should get down to the dock."

The statement made Riku chuckle.

"What, like Sora and Kairi could possibly be there already?"

"Yeah, but I like being near the ocean. Besides, Kairi asked me to help her find some Thalassa shells."

"Alright, alright, lead the way."

Riku gestured down the dirt road that would lead them to the beach and the dock where the four of them tied their boats up. Instead of walking ahead of her friend, Natsumi linked their arms and the two of them walked side by side down to the dock, laughing at each other as they grew sticky from mango juices as they finished off the fruit.

* * *

 **A/N:** So there was a bit of a time-skip this chapter. Hopefully it was pretty obvious that this is taking place just before the events of Kingdom Hearts. Just for reference in case anybody was curious, at this point in the original iteration of Soul Eater, Natsumi and Riku had already made their way to Wonderland! Needless to say, I'm definitely taking my time this time around and I'm way more pleased with this version of things. Thanks for reading, and if you have time please drop me a review!


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

Nothing on Destiny Islands was quite so beautiful as the way the sun shone brightly off the ocean, regardless of what time of day it was. In tentative pre dawn light it brushed against the shoreline like a whisper to wake up the world, and everything was soft and pink. At midday it sparkled like a million diamonds and sounded more like laughter, bright and blinding and real. Sitting on the bent paopu tree at twilight, everything seemed to burst into flames and the reflection of the sun stretched across the waves like a bridge to the end of the world. She wished it could be that easy, but the path of sunlight never held her weight and instead just sat there as a taunting reminder that she and her friends were trapped.

Riku sat with an arm propped up on his knee and his other leg hanging over the edge of the dock while Natsumi scoured the surrounding area for Thalassa shells, waiting for Sora and Kairi to join them. Occasional comments were shared back and forth, but for the most part they waited in silence. Natsumi kept glancing up at Riku from underneath her eyelashes, mulling over in her mind her desire to get off of the islands and the idea Riku had yet to tell her about.

She knew from the look on his face that he was thinking about the same thing. Though she knew that Riku wanted to leave the islands just as badly as she did, she still wasn't sure why. The two of them had never really talked about it that in depth, just that they both wanted desperately to leave. She didn't know if it was because he was bored, curious, a combination of both, or something else altogether. She didn't know if he felt the same indescribable pull she felt every day of her life.

Natsumi wanted to ask him about it, wanted to finally talk about the thing they'd never needed to put into words before, but the words still wouldn't come. It wasn't that she was scared to talk to him about it, more like there was no urgency to the thought. She didn't have to ask him right that second because they had all the time in the world. Right now it was enough to share fleeting glances, playful little smiles, and meaningless conversation. It was enough to simply be.

After a long while of fruitlessly searching for any Thalassa shells, Natsumi abandoned the task and stepped back onto the dock. Riku looked over his shoulder at hearing her footsteps approaching before turning back to looking at the ocean. From the dock they could see the play island, and the bent paopu tree where they spent their evenings watching the sun set.

"What's taking those two so long?" Natsumi whined as she sat next to him and let her head rest heavily on his shoulder.

"It's Sora and Kairi. What do you expect?"

He chuckled a bit, and Natsumi gave a disgruntled groan. Natsumi let her eyes slip shut against the sun that stretched blindingly across the ocean, still high in the sky. They had hours yet before the sun would set and they would have to be home, and Natsumi always enjoyed spending time with Riku, so Sora and Kairi's tardiness really shouldn't have mattered, except…

The blonde frowned.

She _really_ wanted Riku to just tell her what his idea was already.

"Hey, Ri—"

"Nope."

Her eyes immediately shot open and she sat up straight, hands reflexively gripping the edge of the dock.

"Aw, c'mon! Why not?"

Riku looked down at her with a smirk, amusement in his aqua eyes.

"I already told you, Natsu."

He reached up and lightly tugged her ponytail.

"Hey!"

Natsumi went to swat at his hand, but he snatched it away before she could make contact.

"You gotta wait until Sora and Kairi get here."

She glared at him, but there was no malice behind the expression and it quickly turned into another pout.

"But they're taking forever. Come on, Riku, just tell me, please?"

They held eye contact for a few moments before Riku broke it, looking away and reaching up with his gloved hand to push her face away.

"Ack, Riku, wha—?"

"Don't look at me with those puppy dog eyes."

"Puppy dog eyes? I just want you to tell me what your idea is."

"Yeah, well, patience is a virtue."

The blonde looked back up at that, about to come back with a sassy remark before stopping. Riku was still looking out at the ocean, and when a light breeze came off the water and pushed his hair away from his face she could see that his cheeks were tinged red. She leaned forward, thinking it was just a trick of the light, but the flush remained.

"Riku? Are you okay? Your face is all red."

"Fine," he said, but he still wasn't looking at her.

Natsumi stared at him for a second before scrunching up her face at him.

"You're acting _weird_."

"Am not."

"Yes, you are," Natsumi singsonged.

Her lips twisted into a smile as she reached out to poke him in his side, trying to bring back the levity that had somehow vanished. When her fingers made contact, Riku actually yelped, whipping his head around to glare at her and attempt to grab her hands.

"Too slow!"

She yanked her hands back before he could get ahold of them, grin widening.

"Natsu, cut it out!"

"Nope! Not until you stop being weird," the blonde said, resuming her attack.

Their hands tangled as Riku attempted to fend her off and she started laughing.

"So help me, Natsu, I will push you into the ocean."

His hand landed on her back and she squealed, arms darting out to wrap around him instinctively.

"If I go down, I'm taking you with me!"

"Seriously, cut it out!"

They wobbled at the end of the dock, precariously close to falling in until Riku steadied them. When she felt them steady again, Natsumi let her arms loosen a bit and then looked up at him from under her eyelashes. His cheeks were still red, but he was at least smiling at her again. She returned his smile, feeling her own face start to flush and she was finding that, for some reason, she couldn't look away. When did being this close to Riku start making her stomach tie itself into knots?

Suddenly her mouth was dry and before she could pull away or formulate a sassy remark a familiar voice cried out "Gotcha!" and a pair of hands gave a hard shove against her back. She fell forward off the dock, arms flailing as she hit the water with an undignified smack. The sandy bottom gave way underneath her feet when she regained her senses enough to start heading back to the surface.

Bursting through the surface of the water, she tried to inhale deeply only to start coughing at the water that had gone up her nose. In the background she could hear Sora cackling and Riku shouting at Sora from beside her. He sounded madder than she thought the situation warranted, but as she looked up at Sora with Kairi beside him, covering her mouth and looking just as pleased — and Natsumi had no doubt that Kairi had been the one to push Riku into the ocean — Natsumi felt a spark of irritation at the two as well. Which didn't make sense, because only a few minutes ago she'd been eager for them to arrive so that Riku would finally tell her his idea.

"That was way uncalled for, Sora!"

"Aw, c'mon, Natsumi, it was hilarious!"

"To you, maybe," Riku said, and Natsumi looked over to find that he was scowling.

"Sheesh, guys, lighten up." Kairi clasped her hands behind her back, still smiling down at them. "You act like we don't do this all the time."

"Yeah, but…"

Natsumi trailed off, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation for why this time was different. She couldn't even explain it to herself. The redhead was right — the four of them pushed each other into the ocean all the time, regardless of swimsuits or clothes or the time of day — and with no apparent reason behind her annoyance, Natsumi felt it fizzle out.

"Well I guess now I'll just have to keep my idea for getting to other worlds all to myself."

"What idea?" Kairi asked at the same time Sora dropped to his knees on the dock to peer down at them and say, "No way! You gotta tell us!"

Riku and Natsumi exchanged a look, the silver-haired teen giving her a conspiratorial smirk.

"Nope. Think I'll just tell Natsu."

Sora's face scrunched up in dismay.

"But we promised we'd all go!"

Riku didn't answer right away, instead opting to start swimming back towards the shore. Natsumi followed, wringing the water out from her hair and clothes as soon as they were free from the salt water. Already she could feel her hair and skin drying, strands of hair sticking to her face.

"Come on, Riku, it was just a joke!"

"Yeah, well, your timing sucks," Riku answered, but the exasperated smile on his face as he gave Sora a small shove backwards took out any bite that may have been in the words.

"So," Kairi said, "what exactly is this idea of yours?"

Riku looked at her, and then out over the ocean.

"Let's head out to the play island. I'll tell you guys there."

* * *

Natsumi lay in bed, staring up at her glow-in-the-dark stars. Half of them didn't glow anymore, had stopped glowing a few years ago, but some of them still held resiliently onto whatever it was that had made them glow in the first place. Even once the rest of them stopped glowing, she'd keep them all as a reminder of her dreams.

She mulled over Riku's plan, the one he'd finally told the three of them once they'd made it out to the paopu islet where they could look at how the ocean went on forever and watch the sun set. The four of them had grown up with stories of how far the ocean stretched, all the way to the end of the world and beyond. It only made sense that their best chance for leaving Destiny Islands and finding another world was to set sail for the horizon. So after they all eagerly agreed to Riku's idea they'd sat for a while longer, planning out to build a raft, and what supplies they'd need. If they started soon, it could be done a few days after school let out for the summer.

A smile stretched across Natsumi's lips, though there was nobody to see it in the darkness of her room. Though she wasn't exerting herself, her heart was pounding and there was a restless thrum in her veins. Sleep had been evading her for hours now.

Her thoughts kept circling round and round, the word "soon" repeating like a mantra in her head. Soon they would leave. Soon they would find other worlds. Soon she would finally be able to find that castle and then… She'd be able to prove that it wasn't all in her head. Natsumi had always been certain that she'd be able to see the castle again, but it had never before seemed so close.

 _Soon…_

She could hardly wait, and she certainly couldn't sleep. Her head lolled to the side, gaze finding her window, which now had the blinds drawn up so that she could see out of it. Next door, Riku had his blinds drawn up as well, just as he did every night and she knew that if she tried his window it would be open. She stared at it for a moment longer before she got out of bed and walked decisively across her room and opened her window.

It was easy, throwing her leg over the windowsill and dropping the short distance to the ground, so easy that she could have done it in pitch blackness, in her sleep. She tip-toed quickly over the well trodden ground, rapped her knuckles lightly over the glass to let Riku know she was coming in, and opened his window as well.

Riku only had enough time to roll over in his bed before she had crossed his room and was climbing into bed with him. She readjusted his sheet over them, scooting and wiggling until she finally seemed to get comfortable and the two teens were lying nose to nose. Both of them smiled as their eyes met, the room being just light enough for them to see each other's faces.

"Hi."

"Hi," Riku said back, and Natsumi let out a breathless laugh. "Another nightmare?"

Natsumi's smile faltered for just a moment and then she shook her head. The first time she'd ever snuck out of her room and into Riku's had been when they were eight years old, though the nightmares had been plaguing her long before then. That night she'd been so terrified of the images in her dreams she'd thrown open her window without thinking and knocked on Riku's until he let her in. The poor little boy hadn't seemed to know what to do when she threw her arms around him and cried into his shoulder about how scared she was, but he'd brought her into his bed and hugged her until she'd calmed down. Ever since then, Riku left his window unlocked for her.

She never told him what was in her nightmares that frightened her so much, or that they had ceased scaring her a few years ago though she still occasionally had them. She had the sneaking suspicion he knew that she wasn't scared of them anymore and only asked the question out of habit. Saying yes gave them both an excuse for the open windows and lying awake together long after their parents thought they'd gone to bed.

This was the first time she'd told him it wasn't the nightmares that brought her over.

"I can't sleep," she said. "I keep thinking about the raft and how we're finally…"

"Yeah," he said, and Natsumi looked back up at him. "Me too."

His eyes were shining feverishly even through the darkness, setting off a different sort of restlessness underneath her skin. It made her thoughts return to the weird moment they'd had at the end of the dock and how she'd felt in that moment. And if the way Riku had reacted to Sora and Kairi pushing them into the ocean was any indication, he'd felt it too.

Natsumi exhaled softly and reached up to place her hand on his arm. Before she could start to make her way down his arm to his hand, he lifted his hand up to twine their fingers together between them. There was something different about holding hands here, lying in his bed under the cover of darkness. Something that started her thinking maybe there was something to their classmates' whispers.

"Riku…"

She trailed off, not sure what to say. His gaze was steady and she found herself biting her lip. It was just Riku, there was no need to be so nervous, but her heart felt like it was in her throat all the same.

"Wanna go down to the beach?"

Riku nodded almost instantly and said, "Sure."

The little smile he gave her made her heart flutter and her lips stretched into an answering grin before she was pulling away and heading towards his open window. She lifted herself over the sill and out of the window in one fluid motion. When she spun around with her hands still flat against the sill it was to find Riku already standing there with his face inches from her own. Natsumi felt her face growing red, and, though she couldn't be sure of it in the darkness, she thought Riku was blushing as well. Her thoughts had come to a dead stop, supplying her with only one idea.

"Race ya!"

And then she was darting away from his house and towards the beach, not needing to look behind her to know that he was following. The cool night air tugged at her hair — loosed from her ponytail — as she ran and she wasn't sure if the pounding she could hear was her heartbeat, her footsteps, or Riku's footsteps behind her. Her question was answered when Riku passed her, sparing a moment to glance over his shoulder at her and smirk.

Underneath their feet the dirt pathway gave way to the beach, the sand making it harder for her to keep up. Riku had always been faster than her, and on top of that he was taller as well. Even with her head-start, she lost spectacularly.

She came to a stop, breathing heavily. Riku turned back to look at her, bare feet dipping into the wet sand as waves lapped back and forth at the beach. Instead of lording his victory, like he would have over Sora, he seemed to hesitate for a moment and then held out his hand towards her. Natsumi didn't hesitate, closing the distance between them and grasping his offered hand. If there was something different about holding hands in his bed, there was something else that was different about holding his hand on a moonlit beach.

Nothing on Destiny Islands was quite so beautiful as the way the sun shone brightly off the ocean, except for the way the moon shone off the ocean. At night, when the residents and sun were sleeping, something else on the islands seemed to come alive. At night the ocean was a mysterious temptation that called to the darkest corners of her heart. The line between the ocean and sky ceased to exist and there was not a doubt in her mind that _that_ was where they'd be able to go to another world. Nighttime on Destiny Islands was her favorite time of day.

"Soon," Riku said.

His voice echoed her thoughts so clearly she looked over at him sharply to find that he too was staring at the horizon, though she could have sworn she felt his gaze on her only seconds ago. Staring at him, she wondered if the look of determination and longing on his features was the same way she looked when she thought about leaving their island. For a fleeting moment she wondered what it would be like to have him look at _her_ like that. The thought had her blushing again and she looked away from him, despite the fact that she knew he couldn't hear her thoughts.

"We'll all go to the outside world together."

Natsumi looked back up at him, tilting her head curiously.

"...why do you want to leave so bad, Riku?"

Riku met her gaze and then quickly looked away again. Inexplicably, he seemed embarrassed by her question.

"I told you guys. I want to have real adventures. I want to see everything."

"Is that really it?"

Her disappointed question drew his gaze again.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. I just… thought there was more."

Silence stretched between them so long she began to think he wouldn't say anything else on the subject.

"I want to get stronger."

"Stronger? For what?"

This time she could tell with certainty that he was embarrassed. He wasn't looking at her, and ran his free hand through his hair.

"You know. To… protect the things that matter," he said, voice trailing off into a mumble at the end and his hand tightening ever so slightly around hers.

His words reminded her of another promise from when they were kids, walking side by side on the beach.

" _You don't gotta be scared, Natsu. Sora and I, we'll protect you!"_

" _Really? You promise?"_

" _Promise."_

A small smile started on her face and she stepped in front of him, leaning forward and forcing him to look at her again.

"What kinda things?"

"You know," he said again, quickly, and offering no further explanation.

"I really don't." The blonde was unable to keep the giggle out of her voice, smile stretching wider. "What kind of things, Riku?"

He looked at her in exasperation, huffing a sigh between barely parted lips. Her lips twitched as she watched him, about to dissolve into a fit of giggles when something changed in his eyes and her smile faltered and fell. The waves lapping against the shore underneath their feet suddenly sounded as loud as they did during the tropical storms that occasionally hit the islands. Natsumi held her breath, waiting for… something. She didn't know what.

"What about you?"

"What?"

That hadn't been what she was waiting for. It was Riku's turn to smirk.

"Why do you want to leave, Natsu?"

"I need to find my castle," she answered and the possessiveness and desperation in her voice surprised her.

"What if… what if our parents are right? And your castle isn't real."

"It is!"

She stepped closer to him, almost stomping her foot and green eyes shining defiantly as she looked up the distance between them. The fire left her almost as quickly as it came.

"I thought you believed me…"

"I do, Natsu, I swear. You and Kairi, we know that you came from other worlds. Maybe the same one."

Natsumi sighed and leaned her forehead against his shoulder. Of course Riku believed her. It was silly of her to think otherwise. He was the one who understood without them even speaking about it. When he let go of her hand to wrap his arms around her shoulders she wrapped hers around his waist in return and finally put a voice to her feelings.

"I just _need_ to find it. It's like there's this… thing, something out there calling to me. And it's so much, sometimes I feel like I'm suffocating. It gets worse when I look at the sky and the ocean, and especially when I look at that door. I feel like it's supposed to be open, and I just—"

Riku's embrace tightened around her and she cut off abruptly. She kept her face buried in his shoulder and took a few deep steadying breaths, feeling her racing heart begin to slow. After a few moments, she felt calm enough to speak again.

"Do you feel it too?" she asked, suddenly unsure. "The wanting, the door, any of it?"

There was weight behind the way she said "any of it", as if she was talking about something different than wanting to get off their island, and after a moment she realized that she was.

"Yeah," he said, and all of the tension slipped from her body, just like that. "There's something out there that's bigger than us, and we're trapped here and… I can't get that door open, either."

She pulled away and looked up at him, awkwardly reclaiming her arms and running a hand over her collarbone.

"You've tried?"

Their eyes met, Riku's lips turning up in an almost smirk as he shook his head at her.

"Did you think you were the only one?"

"Well, yeah, kinda… Hey!" she exclaimed a moment later when he started laughing at her, immediately smacking him on the arm. "Cut it out."

"It's not just you, I promise."

Natsumi turned away from him and back towards the ocean, eyes finding the dark shape of the play island in the water. His promise made her feel better, like there wasn't something strange and out of place about her.

"What do you think's behind it?"

"I don't know," he said, voice coming from beside her. "Wanna find out?"

She looked up at him, and the mischievous smirk on his face. She knew this look from years upon years of calling him her best friend and she found herself returning it.

"Definitely."

* * *

 **A/N:** Wowee, this one ended up being a bit longer than the others, and shamelessly Riku/Natsumi-centric. Sorry, not sorry? You knew what you signed up for! Anyways, now we know what Riku's idea was, AND got confirmation that Natsumi is, in fact, from another world. It's really fun for me to write their evolving relationship, shifting from friendship to something else, and I hope you guys are enjoying it too! I also hope that I've got juuuuuust enough mystery in there to keep you guys wondering. As always, thanks for reading, and if you've got time, please leave a review!


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

"Found it!"

Sora's shout came from the sea, just a little bit beyond the end of the paopu islet. He was treading water and shaking it out from his hair before it could drip into his eyes. Riku was in the water as well, while Kairi and Natsumi stayed up on shore taking a rushed inventory of everything they had. Through the crystal clear water the four teens could see the cloth that had sank to the sandy bottom.

"That's great," Kairi called, holding a hand up to shield her eyes from the sun.

Natsumi finished looking over the raft before turning her attention back to Sora and Riku.

"Yeah, it looks like that's the last of it!"

Even from a distance they could see the happy-go-lucky grin Sora gave them. Then he was quickly diving beneath the waves.

Natsumi sighed and sat down heavily on the sodden wood, running her fingers over it as she and Kairi watched the boys retrieve what was supposed to be their sail, a sail that no longer even had a mast.

"Well that was a disaster."

"What do you mean?"

The younger girl sat down next to Natsumi, salt water dripping from her short hair.

"What do you mean, what do I mean? That tiny wave flipped our raft over and then it started falling apart."

Kairi hummed thoughtfully, gazing out at the ocean and then quickly shook her head. She turned back to Natsumi with a wide smile.

"It'll be fine! We just learned what not to do, that's all. Now we can build it better," she said, tapping her knuckles across the raft.

Natsumi looked down at the raft underneath them. When it had gone into the water it had been a fully intact vessel. But somehow one of the knots had come loose, and the logs they'd used had started drifting apart, so the four panicking teens had been forced to return to shore. It was enough to start casting doubt on their plan and whether or not it would work. Her fingers slipped off the side of the raft and dug into the sand beneath them.

Out in the ocean, Sora had returned triumphantly to the surface, grinning broadly at Riku who had gone out to help him. As Riku returned the smile and the two started for the shore, Natsumi felt determination welling up inside of her.

"You're right." She stood up, stamping a foot down on the planks of their first failed attempt. "We'll build it better, and we'll make it across that horizon."

Kairi was only able to manage a bright smile in response before Natsumi was kneeling down again, loosening the failed knots and untangling the rope so that they could use it again. Kairi giggled and then joined her as they examined the wood they had used and the rope they had left.

"Look," Kairi said, holding up a frayed edge of rope.

"That's—"

"Yup. It fell apart because this rope snapped."

Natsumi stared at it, finding that instead of disappointment she was feeling relieved. There was an explanation, a simple frayed rope that none of them had noticed. A mistake, not an omen of disaster and misfortune.

"That's great!"

"What's great?"

The girls looked up at Sora and Riku, both of them dripping wet, Sora sporting a grin and the torn sail like a cape. Kairi presented them with the rope and her own grin.

"A rope?" Riku asked, eyebrow arched skeptically.

"Not just a rope," Kairi countered.

"The reason our raft fell apart."

Understanding dawned on Riku's face and he reached out for the rope. Kairi handed it over easily, jumping to her feet and approaching Sora. The oldest of their group looked between all three of them and then back down at the rope.

"I thought we checked everything."

"Guess we missed that," Natsumi said, looking up from where she had been digging her bare feet into the sand. She gave Riku a small smile.

"So that is good news."

Sora's words drew their attention over to himself and Kairi.

"Yup!" The redhead popped out from underneath Sora's makeshift cape, holding it around her face as she grinned at them. "We didn't do anything wrong building the raft, except use some bad rope."

"So all we gotta do is find some more," Sora exclaimed, whirling in a circle to try to capture the wayward girl.

"No!"

Kairi squealed, giggling wildly as Sora tried to catch her and still never relinquishing her hold on his cape. Riku snorted, a sound that was half amusement and half exasperation and tossed the frayed rope back down on the raft.

"We'll have to get some more supplies, then."

He ran a gloved hand through his hair and turned away from Kairi and Sora to look down at Natsumi and the raft.

"Yeah. We were able to save some of the rope, though." She gestured to the pile that she and Kairi had collected. At her words, Riku knelt down, picking up each piece of rope and giving it an experimental tug. "We're gonna have to find a new sail, too," she added, just as the sound of cloth tearing split through the air.

Riku and Natsumi looked up at Sora and Kairi, the latter two frozen in place, their original sail split in two pieces between them. The four of them stared at each other in silence until Natsumi's lips twitched, a single short breath slipping past her lips before she started laughing uncontrollably. Sora joined in her laughter first, then Kairi, and then finally Riku, who shook his head as he did so.

"Alright," he said once they'd all settled down. "We need a new sail. What else do we need?"

"A new mast," Natsumi said.

"And more rope," Kairi added.

"And food!"

"Of course you'd mention food. You're always thinking with your stomach."

"Hey!"

"Sora's right though," Kairi cut in before the boys could spiral into another argument or challenge. Riku shot Sora one last smirk, to which Sora responded by sticking out his tongue.

"So we've got a new sail, mast, more rope, and food." Natsumi counted off the list on her fingers and then looked up at her friends. "Anything else?"

Kairi shook her head.

"Not that I can think of."

"Nope! Once we have those things, we should be all set."

Sora dropped the torn sail-turned-cape onto the raft and then sat down in the sand, either not noticing or not caring that his clothes were still wet.

"Alright then. Natsumi and Kairi can stay here and start working on putting the raft back together. Sora, you can find us another sail and more rope."

Sora groaned and tilted his head back, leaning back on his hands.

"Aww, c'mon Riku, can't we take a break? We've been at it all day."

"We're almost done. Let's just finish it," Riku said, crossing his arms.

"What's the rush? We could just as easily finish it tomorrow," Kairi said.

"Or we could finish it today," Natsumi argued. She had already started working on putting the raft back together. "We're so close to being done, guys."

Kairi paused, holding Natsumi's stare before she abandoned her half of the sail and dropped to her knees next to the blonde.

"Come on, Sora, you heard them. Let's get to work. It's almost finished!"

Sora let out another groan, but didn't argue and got to his feet. Natsumi hid a smirk in her shoulder. The brunet never could resist Kairi.

"Alright, alright. What was I in charge of again?"

"A new sail and more rope," Riku said, turning on his heel and walking away now that Sora had agreed to help them finish the raft.

"Hey," Sora called. "What are you gonna do?"

"I'm getting the new mast," Riku said over his shoulder.

Sora glanced back at the girls, giving a nervous laugh at the stern look Kairi gave him before he hurried off to track down more cloth and rope. As soon as he was out of earshot, Natsumi started giggling. Kairi looked at her questioningly.

"That boy has it _bad_ for you, Kai."

The younger girl's face immediately turned as red as her hair. She ducked her head, focusing intently on the knot she was tying. Despite her concentration her fingers fumbled over the rope and couldn't get it knotted properly. Natsumi laughed again.

"Here, let me do it." Kairi huffed, but eventually relinquished her hold on the rope. "And judging by your reaction, you've got it bad for him."

"Natsu! That's not— we're not—" Kairi huffed again and glared at her friend.

"You guys should just share a paopu already."

Natsumi shot her a teasing smile, fingers deftly finishing tying the knot that Kairi had fumbled on.

"We can't do that," Kairi protested.

"Why not?"

Kairi flushed a deeper red and puffed her cheeks out, clenching her fists on her knees.

"Because he doesn't even realize I like him back!" Natsumi stared at her before she burst out laughing again. "What? What's so funny?"

"I'm pretty sure asking him to share a paopu with you would give him the hint, Kai. You two couldn't be any more obvious."

"Oh what, like you and Riku?"

The blonde immediately choked on her laughter, looking up at Kairi wide-eyed. The redhead had her fixed with an even stare. Natsumi felt her own cheeks beginning to burn and found that she couldn't maintain eye contact.

"What are you even talking about?"

"Natsumi." She almost flinched from Kairi's deadpan tone. "You can't be serious. You two hold hands."

"We've done that since we were little!"

"He walks you home everyday."

"We live next door to each other."

"You sneak into his room at night."

"I have nightmares! Don't make me regret telling you that."

Kairi groaned and leaned forward to grab Natsumi by the shoulders, forcing the girl to meet her eyes.

"Natsumi, you can't _honestly_ be telling me that you don't see it."

"I mean…"

Did she see it?

Maybe she hadn't up until now. She'd gone through her childish phase of having a crush on him, just like most of the girls on the island had, but she'd thought that was all it was — a phase. It wasn't like she looked at him any differently. Riku was still himself, still the boy who crushed her sandcastle and carved drawings into cave walls with her and helped her with her homework when she just didn't understand it. Nothing had changed, except the butterflies in her stomach and her meaning when she'd asked "any of it?"

Maybe she hadn't seen any of it because it had always been there.

"There it is." When Natsumi refocused on Kairi, the girl was nodding sagely. "I knew you'd see it eventually."

"Okay… I see it." She looked down at the rope she was twisting through her fingers. If she wasn't careful, she'd undo the knot she'd just tied. "So what am I supposed to do?"

Kairi didn't miss a beat.

"Just ask him to share a paopu with you."

Natsumi's head snapped up and she tried to throw the rope in her hands at Kairi.

"Kai, you can't be serious!"

Kairi was snickering, a mischievous smirk on her face before she broke down laughing completely.

"Do you see my point?"

"No! We actually _know_ that Sora likes you."

"And Riku _doesn't_ like you? Stop being stupid. Why do you think he turns down all those girls at school?"

"I—"

"It's because he likes you, Natsu."

Natsumi's lips closed on her protests, instead quirking up in a small smile. The thought of Riku turning down all those other girls — pretty girls, smart girls, nice girls, and everyone else in between — for her made her heart race. She couldn't help but remember one day in particular, a girl in their class had stopped him while they were walking home from school. Natsumi had told Riku to go ahead and take his time, but only a few seconds later he'd been rushing to catch up to her. When she asked about the other girl he waved off her question, saying it was nothing. Her smile stretched wider.

"Heh, I knew you'd see it my way."

"Alright, alright," Natsumi laughed with Kairi and looked back up. "You win. Maybe I _will_ ask him if he wants to share a paopu… It is a big step, though."

"Yeah," Kairi agreed as they both turned back to reassembling the raft. "But I have been thinking. You know the Thalassa legend? About how sailors wore them to keep them safe? We could make our own Thalassa charms, shaped like paopu. That way, no matter what happens we'll always be together."

Natsumi glanced up at Kairi. It had actually been her who suggested that Natsumi turn the shell Riku had given her into a bracelet. Natsumi had always been too scared to, worried that she would break it, but Kairi was a natural at threading the shells just right.

"Is that why you asked me to find shells for you?"

"Yup!" Kairi grinned at her. "You're way better at finding them than I am. You're like a sea witch or something!"

"Hey! Aren't sea witches old and ugly?"

"Fine, a mermaid then," Kairi corrected and the two dissolved into giggles again.

The two continued working on the raft until they got to the end of their supply of rope and could go no further. Once they were finished, they began talking about finding more Thalassa shells, and how many they would need to make a lucky charm for each of them. Kairi had excitedly run back inside their small shack to grab her charm to show Natsumi. So far she only had four shells and had managed to thread three of them together into a partial charm.

"That's amazing, Kairi." Natsumi held the charm gingerly in her hands. The shells had been carefully strung together, and there was a tiny smiley face on the top shell. She offered the charm back to Kairi. "We could go looking for more."

"It's been a while since the boys left, though," Kairi said, taking the charm back. "We should probably go find them."

A quick scan of the beach they could see revealed Sora and Riku were nowhere to be found, and the sun was starting to dip lower in the sky.

"Yeah, it is getting late. We'll have to head back home soon."

"I'll look for Sora, you look for Riku?"

Natsumi rolled her eyes at the suggestive tilt to Kairi's mouth. Well, two could play at that game she decided.

"Why, so that you can ask Sora to share a paopu with you?"

Her words had the desired effect. Kairi blushed and stuck her tongue out forcefully and in the next moment darted away down the beach, most likely so Natsumi couldn't try to retaliate against what she said next.

"No, so you can ask Riku to share one with you!"

Natsumi's mouth dropped open and Kairi was out of earshot before she could come up with a comeback.

"Brat," she muttered, unable to stop herself from smiling anyways.

Who knew? Maybe Kairi would end up taking her advice. For now though, all she could do was try to find Riku. The island was large enough that searching the whole thing for Riku would end up taking up a lot of time, but she was pretty sure she hadn't seen him leave this side of the island. She walked under the bridge of the paopu islet and the rest of the beach opened up in front of her. Now she could see where Kairi had run off to, standing over Sora where he had decided to, unsurprisingly, take a nap.

Riku, however, was nowhere to be seen.

Natsumi sighed, racking her brain trying to think of where he might be. Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie stood up on the deck that overlooked the island. Selphie waved when she noticed Natsumi, and Natsumi returned the gesture. It was clear Riku wasn't with them, or anywhere on the beach for that matter. She continued scanning the island before her eyes landed on the entrance to the Secret Place. She paused, watching the entrance thoughtfully.

Was it possible Riku was in the Secret Place? They had just been talking about the door the night before.

"Might as well start somewhere," she said to herself.

Decision made, she started to make her way across the beach, climbing up the short ledge that led up to the path to the cave. The entrance to the cave was dark, but next to it a log leaned against the rock. Natsumi gave it only a passing glance as she headed down the tunnel. It didn't take long for her to reach the end of the tunnel, where it opened up and became the cave where she and her friends carved drawings into the walls. Her castle was still there, along with additions from Sora and Kairi. She couldn't help but notice that the drawings they'd done of each other were now connected by a paopu fruit going from Sora to Kairi.

A breath of laughter escaped her lips, loud enough to draw Riku's attention from where he was looking at the door, just like she'd thought he would be. He turned towards her completely and she gave him a wide smile.

"Found you," she teased, stepping further into the cave.

"Did you and Kairi finish already?"

"Yup! You guys were gone a while. It's actually getting kind of late, so we decided to go looking for you."

She was grateful that it was dark in the Secret Place. Thinking about when she and Kairi had decided to find the boys reminded her that Kairi had told her to ask Riku to share a paopu with her, and now she was blushing fiercely.

It had been a long time since she and Riku had been alone in the Secret Place together.

"Huh. Guess I lost track of time," Riku said, reaching up to rub the back of his head.

Natsumi glanced over his shoulder and felt her smile fall. She crossed the cave, stepping just a little past Riku.

"You were looking at the door, weren't you?"

She lifted her hand, stopping just short of touching it. That familiar ache started in her chest again and she had to remind herself, _soon_. She took a deep breath, jumping slightly when Riku's voice came from right next to her.

"Yeah. I guess… maybe I thought today would be different."

"Different, huh?"

Riku was staring intently at the door, hand raised in a mirror image of her own, though she wasn't sure if he realized this. In some ways, this moment was different. Whenever she'd studied the door before, she'd always been by herself, but now…

Somehow Riku's hand was in hers again and in the next moment her other hand was pressed flat against the door. They looked at each other, Natsumi watching Riku expectantly. She tilted her head towards the door, eyes never leaving his as his eyes widened slightly in understanding. He turned back to the door and placed his hand next to hers. Natsumi inhaled sharply, returning her attention to the door as well. Not even the sound of their breathing could be heard as they waited for something, anything. Natsumi's eyes widened, for a split second feeling something before it was gone again, leaving her no time to understand what it was.

She whirled towards Riku, only to find him already looking at her, his own eyes wide.

"Did you—?" She breathed.

"Yeah, I felt it."

"So maybe…"

They both looked back at the door with bated breath. The air between them was tense, and grew tenser with each moment that nothing happened.

"I… don't think anything is going to happen."

Natsumi's stomach dropped and she squeezed Riku's hand tightly in her own. She'd been so hopeful. But today, just like every other, the door taunted them by staying resolutely shut. She pulled her hand away from Riku's, turning towards the entrance of the cave.

"Natsu, wait," Riku said, catching her hand again.

"I just thought _something_ would happen. Like maybe if we wanted it enough, we'd…"

She laughed hollowly. Suddenly, she was being yanked back, finding herself flush against Riku's chest as his arms wrapped around her.

"It's okay. It doesn't matter. We have the raft, we don't need… whatever this door is."

Natsumi let him embrace her, slowly reaching up to return it.

"Yeah… yeah, you're right." She pulled away and looked up at him, managing a small smile. "And we've been waiting on your mast," she said, poking him in the chest.

Riku smirked at her.

"Are you trying to say that Sora finished finding everything before I did?"

The blonde laughed, and this time it was real. She whirled away from Riku, glancing over her shoulder as she made her way towards the cave entrance.

"Of course not! He was napping down on the beach."

Riku laughed, following Natsumi.

"Well at least I finished my task."

"Yeah, yeah. You ready to go back?"

"Sure," Riku agreed.

But Natsumi didn't miss the way he paused at the edge of the tunnel and cast one last lingering gaze at the mysterious door.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hi all! Sorry this one took me a while to get out. I lost inspiration for a little bit and then it was pulled away to other projects (WIPs Habitual Sinner and another untitled AU), but the very amazing people in the KHOC discord I joined have been a huge help in getting my inspiration back on track! Looking at all the other creative OCs and their stories really got me thinking about Soul Eater again, and all the things I'm so excited to do. As always, thanks for reading, and if you have time please leave a review!


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

Natsumi jumped back, stumbling a bit before quickly regaining her footing in time to raise her bo staff up against Riku's attack. He was smirking at her, and with the sunlight shining down on them it was easy to see that he hadn't even broken a sweat. Her arms were starting to shake with the effort of trying to fend him off. The blonde huffed out a breath and glared at her friend's smirk, then quickly ducked down, away from his attack. She twirled on her feet, pulling her staff in close to her body before lashing out to knock his feet out from under him, but her attack never connected.

Riku dodged to the side as she straightened up, turning to face him again. They stared at each other, chests heaving, and Natsumi could feel sweat beading up on her brow. She'd taken off her shirt, now wearing just her camisole, and the sun was harsh and unforgiving. Her mind was half occupied with wondering how Riku had convinced her to agree to this. It probably had something to do with the fact that they were once more waiting on Sora and Kairi to show up to the play island. She had a sneaking suspicion that the brunet had slept in again, but pushed that thought from her mind as Riku darted towards her again.

She ducked, feeling the current of wind sweep over her head as Riku's swing just barely missed her. Tightening her grip on her staff, she swung out at his legs again — if she could just get him to fall then she would win and the point would go to her. The boy jumped back again and she could hear him laughing at her.

"I know all your moves, stop trying the same things, Natsu."

"Oh, shut it," she said with a glare.

His smirk never dropped, and the longer he stood there, the more she felt her blood boiling. It was way too hot for this. She ran towards him, pulling her staff back to swing at him, not caring that there was no finesse behind the attack. Riku moved before she could hit him, foot sticking out just enough that he tripped her right as she began to spin back around to keep trying to attack him. Natsumi started to fall backwards, eyes widening and flailing arms dropping her staff to instead reach out to steady herself on the closet object — Riku. Her back hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of her and she closed her eyes at the impact.

Something was tickling her face, but she couldn't be bothered to move. All the adrenaline and heightened emotions were leaving her body and she just wanted to lay there, regardless of how much harder the ground was here than on the rest of the beach. Her arm was crushed against her body, fingers clenched tightly.

"Are you okay?"

Natsumi's eyes peeked open. Riku was right above her, looking at her with concern. She let out a deep sigh before answering.

"You tripped me."

His eyes widened a bit, eyebrows shooting up behind his bangs. He regained his composure quickly however, and scoffed.

"Your footwork is sloppy. You keep your feet too close together and it unbalances you. Makes it easy to knock you over."

"But this had nothing to do with my footwork," she argued. "You literally tripped me."

"Well you're the one who came running at me without thinking."

"Oh, and you're so patient."

"More than you apparently." She glared at him and huffed. "Seriously, Natsu, even Sora's stance is better than that."

"And who says I didn't do that on purpose?"

She didn't mean it as anything more than a means to not let him have the last word, but now she was acutely aware of the position they were in. Her fingers were still clenched around Riku's shirt, her arm pinned between them. His hands were flat against the ground, arms caging in her head, and when they'd fallen he'd ended up straddling her.

As if reading her thoughts, Riku sat up and her fingers slipped easily from his shirt.

"You do it every time. ...why would you do it on purpose? That's stupid."

She didn't have a witty quip on the tip of her tongue, try as she might to wrack her brain for something to say. There was only one reason she could think of for having sloppy footwork on purpose, and it was staring her right in the face. The longer she let the silence drag on without saying something, the more she felt the situation becoming awkward. Her silence had gone on too long, it didn't matter what she said now.

"No reason," she mumbled quickly, looking away from him.

After a pause, Riku cleared his throat.

"Well that's a point to me, then." Natsumi groaned, digging her palms into her eyes. "Since when are you a sore loser, Natsu?"

She pulled her hands away from her eyes to give him a deadpan stare.

"I couldn't care less who got the point."

"You're sure acting like you care."

"I don't!"

"Then why are you so upset?"

"I'm not!" Riku's only answer was to stare at her silently. "I'm not upset because I lost, I'm upset because—" She cut herself off and huffed again, fighting against stomping her feet and instead settling for digging her heels into the sand.

"Because why?"

"Because I'm just, you're just, it's… ugh! Get off of me."

"No."

Green eyes widened.

"Riku! Get off of me!"

Instead of listening, Riku did the opposite, leaning back down and replacing his hands on either side of her head. She inhaled sharply, heart thundering in her chest.

"Not until you tell me why you're so upset."

He stared down at her, face serious, mouth set in a determined line. Why did he have to be the most stubborn person she'd ever met? Her stomach was in knots again, and she didn't trust what words might come out if she opened her mouth. She wasn't sure if any words would come out at all. His eyes bored into hers, an expectant glint in them.

"I…"

"Riku, Natsumi!"

Natsumi clenched her eyes shut, letting her head fall back roughly against the ground. It had felt like the words were on the tip of her tongue, and now they had vanished again, whisked away by the ocean breeze. Or rather, the gale that was, once again, Sora's interruption.

As if right on cue, Kairi's giggle trilled through the air.

"Should we leave you two alone?"

She almost said yes.

Instead she left her lips pressed firmly together and felt as Riku pulled away again.

"No, Natsu just lost again."

The blonde's eyes shot open before narrowing into a glare.

"Because you're a dirty cheater that trips people!"

Riku looked back down at her with a smirk.

"Well maybe if you weren't so easy to trip."

"Is that reeeeeally all it is?"

The bickering teens immediately shot simultaneous glares to the grinning girl, both of them opening their mouths for a vehement, "Yes!"

Riku stood suddenly, giving Natsumi a quick, sharp pang in her chest. Before she could examine the feeling too closely he was turning back to her and offering her his hand. He helped her to her feet and she withdrew her hand quickly, ignoring the strange stares she got from her friends.

"Anyways," she said, trying to distract them from whatever had just happened. "What took you guys so long?"

"Sora slept in again," Kairi said with a giggle.

"Hey!" Sora shot her a wounded look before quickly bouncing back and locking his hands behind his head with a smile. "That's not the only reason. We were trying to think of a name for the raft."

"Oh? Did you come up with anything?"

"Yeah, Excalibur!"

"Like the sword," Kairi chimed in.

"Plus it sounds cool!"

"I was thinking we'd name it Highwind."

They turned towards Riku as he finally spoke up, a complicated frown on his face. The expression made Natsumi feel inexplicably guilty. She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Sora and Kairi hadn't interrupted.

"Hmm, should we put it to a vote?"

"And have it end up in a tie?" Riku crossed his arms. "Wanna settle it the usual way, Sora?"

"Race for it? Sure!"

"Here we go again," Kairi giggled, suddenly right next to Natsumi.

"Boys," Natsumi agreed, finding a smile coming easily to her lips and the unpleasant feeling in her dispelling. Kairi always had a way of making her feel better.

The four of them had found their way into their usual positions for Sora and Riku's races out of sheer habit, the girls standing off to the side of the platform closest to the ocean and now the boys were discussing the terms of the race.

"If I win, I'm captain. And if you win—"

"I get to share the paopu with Kairi."

"What?!"

Three voices shouted in unison, wide eyes all landing on Riku. The silver-haired teen continued coolly, as though he hadn't said anything out of the ordinary.

"Deal? Winner gets to share a paopu with Kairi?"

He was speaking to Sora, but for a fleeting second he locked eyes with Natsumi before looking away again. That unpleasant feeling was back full force and Natsumi felt her cheeks warming, thoughts racing in a confusing circle.

"Wha…? Wait a minute!"

Natsumi shot Kairi a pleading look, barely hearing Sora's protests. In the span of thirty seconds Riku had turned everything she thought she knew upside down. Kairi's eyes darted between Riku and Natsumi before she was suddenly jumping forward.

"Okay! On my count!"

The boys looked over at her, falling into ready positions as she started counting down quickly. As soon as she said "Go!" they were off and Kairi was whirling on Natsumi, hands on her hips and stern, no nonsense look on her face.

"Natsumi, what the heck happened before we got here?"

"I don't know. He tripped me and we fell and he was on top of me and I kind of told him I did it on purpose and he wouldn't get off me and then I don't know!"

"Okay, slow down. What exactly did you say?"

Natsumi took a deep breath and recounted to Kairi what they'd said to each other as best as she could. Kairi listened intently, but by the end she was grinning widely and trying to hide the expression behind her hands.

"What? Why are you smiling like that?"

The redhead laughed out loud at that.

"Because it's so obvious!"

"What's obvious?"

Kairi pulled her hands away from her face, trying to stifle her laughter so that she could answer.

"He's trying to make you jealous, Natsu."

Natsumi's eyes widened and she looked out at the makeshift racecourse their friends were now making their way back through.

"Make me jealous? But why? That's stupid."

"As stupid as you falling on purpose?"

"That's different!"

Kairi clasped her hands behind her back, smiling knowingly at Natsumi.

"Uh-huh. Did it work?"

The older girl felt her face turning red again and looked away from Kairi, choosing instead to focus intently on Sora and Riku finishing their race. Or rather, on Riku winning the race, and Sora coming in closely second. Riku reached the platform and came to a stop, turning to smirk at Sora.

"Guess we're naming the raft Highwind."

Sora gave him a glare, but before he could speak Natsumi cut in.

"Guess you're gonna need to find a paopu."

Riku paused, looking over at her thoughtfully, head tilted slightly. She crossed her arms, holding his stare even as her cheeks continued burning. Finally, he chuckled and looked away.

"Oh, that? It was just a joke, guys. Did you really believe me?"

The girls shared a look, Kairi rolling her eyes with a little smile that Natsumi knew meant "I told you so".

"That's a bad joke, Riku!"

Riku turned to Sora, still looking unaffected.

"What's the big deal? Why are you guys so worked up about it?"

"Let's just move on," Kairi jumped in. "The raft has a name, now all we need is some food! Once we have that we're ready to leave, right?"

"Yeah. We'll be able to leave first thing tomorrow," Riku answered.

"Great! Sora and I will finish gathering everything, right Sora?" Kairi grinned and before Sora could answer either way she started pushing him away from the other two. Amidst his protests, she looked over her shoulder and said, "We'll catch up with you two later, so you just finish whatever it was you were doing earlier."

"Kairi!"

The girl steadfastly ignored them as she pushed Sora down the beach until they could no longer hear them and it was clear they weren't coming back. Natsumi looked over at Riku. Now that Sora and Kairi had left, it seemed like his cool attitude from earlier had dropped. He rubbed the back of his head and glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"So," she said, "a paopu with Kairi, huh?"

Riku scoffed.

"I wasn't gonna do it. I don't actually want to share a paopu with her."

Natsumi turned towards him.

"Then why did you say it in the first place?"

"Sora obviously likes Kairi."

"What?"

"Sora likes Kairi, right?"

Riku walked over to the edge of the sandy platform and sat down, letting his legs hang over the edge. Natsumi followed, copying his actions.

"Yeah, obviously… What's your point?"

"But he's too nervous to tell her or too oblivious to realize. So I thought if I said I'd share a paopu with Kairi it would make him see it."

"Oh. So it wasn't to…"

Natsumi looked down at her hands, digging her thumbnail into the wood that lined the ledge.

"Wasn't to what?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head.

"The same way it was "nothing" earlier? C'mon Natsu, you know you can tell me."

His hand closed around hers, stopping her worrying. She looked up at him. His gaze had softened even further and she felt the words coming easier than she'd thought they would.

"It wasn't to make _me_ jealous?"

She felt like the world held its breath after she uttered the words, with the way Riku froze. The only thing that changed was his cheeks slowly turning red. Finally he let out a short laugh that was more of a single exhalation and looked away from her, reaching up with his free hand to once again rub the back of his head.

"That obvious, huh?"

"Not until Kairi told me."

Riku laughed again, a little harder this time.

"She's so perceptive."

"Yeah. Feels like she knows everything sometimes."

The pair smiled at each other and after a moment turned their gazes to the ocean.

"So… did it work?"

Natsumi looked back up at him.

"Huh? Oh." She paused. "Yeah… yeah, it did work."

Riku's smile widened, and Natsumi felt hers widening to match. It didn't take much, just a single fluid motion to flip her hand over and twine her fingers through his.

"So that means you like me."

"And that means _you_ like _me_ ," she shot back.

"Took you long enough to notice," he teased.

"Oh! Shut it!"

Riku laughed and Natsumi bumped him with her shoulder before deciding to rest her head against his shoulder. It wasn't any different from when she'd done the same thing only a few days before, but it felt as different as holding his hand on the moonlit beach had. Even so, when she felt Riku rest his head upon hers in return, her eyes slipped shut. His shoulder beneath her cheek was warm, and for once she felt content exactly where she was.

"Hey, Natsu?"

"Hm?"

"What… does this make us?"

Natsumi opened her eyes slowly, but otherwise didn't move.

"You're still my best friend."

"But are we more now? Do you want to be more?"

The answer for both questions was so simple and so clear, it left her lips before the thought had even finished forming in her mind.

"Yes."

It had been a long time since Natsumi had seen Riku smile as big as he did in that moment. The butterflies it unleashed in her stomach were unbelievably strong, and she couldn't feel her face anymore, but she was sure she was smiling back.

They often spent the majority of their days together, but there was something different about that day. They sat side by side, heads bent towards each other conspiratorially as they talked excitedly about their impending journey, wondering where they might go and what kind of people they might meet. It wasn't until the sun was starting to set that they said their goodbyes to Sora and Kairi and rowed back to the main island. That night, it was harder than usual to say goodbye to each other. They sat on the beach until they were called inside, hands clasped together as long as they could be.

For several days now, Natsumi had had a bag packed and ready to go. After one last check she decided it was as ready as it would ever be and set it near her door. Restlessness filled her veins again, making sleep impossible. She was debating whether to go visit Riku when movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. She rushed to her window, throwing it open and sticking her head out.

The wind whipped her hair around her face, but she still noticed that Riku's window was open as well, and the room beyond it was empty.

"Riku?"

Her eyes reflexively turned towards the beach next, just in time to see Riku sprinting towards the docks.

"Riku!" In the next moment she pulled herself out of the window and hit the ground running. "Riku!"

Out on the beach the severity of the storm was becoming clearer. On the main island it was only windy, but she could see the rain and lightning above the play island and — out in the choppy water where nobody had any business being — Riku rowing directly into the storm. She cried out his name again, voice swept away by the wind and willed herself to go faster.

The waves crested up and over the side of her boat, completely soaking the rope that kept it tied to the dock.

"C'mon!"

Her fingers frantically fumbled with the slick rope before finally gaining purchase against it and untying it. She jumped down into her boat, nearly falling over but catching herself before the waves could claim her. She began rowing as fast as her arms could take her, ignoring the way water was beginning to seep into her clothes. The only thing that mattered was catching up to Riku and getting him to safety with her.

It took longer than usual and her muscles ached with the effort when she reached the dock of the play island. She very nearly slipped again climbing up onto the dock. A single voice of calm in her mind reminded her to tie her boat to the dock so that when the storm died down she and Riku would have a way back. What was he thinking, coming out to the island in this? Was he really that worried about the raft?

She had just finished tying her boat to the dock when she caught sight of another one beside Riku's. It was impossible to tell whose it was, but it did tell her one thing. Either Sora or Kairi was on the island as well. Natsumi turned away from the boats, prepared to run down the dock to find her friends. Instead, her eyes widened, and for the second time that day she was falling to the ground.

Standing in front of her, now perfectly at her eye level, was a black creature with glowing yellow eyes. It had materialized from the ground, claws stretched out to attack before suddenly freezing. She thought about scooting away from it, her breath coming shallowly as she watched it. In return, the creature watched her, bringing its claws back towards its chest and tilting its head at her. Almost like she was the anomaly, and not it.

"Uhhh, hello?"

She pulled herself up onto her knees. The only response the creature gave her was to tilt its head the opposite way, blinking slowly and attenae twitching. She hesitated briefly, then held out her hand to it, stopping just short of touching it.

"What are you?"

Still, it did nothing and she was just about to lean forward the rest of the way to touch it when somebody called out her name.

"Natsumi!"

She whirled around, still on the ground.

"Sora!"

She jumped to her feet.

"What are you doing here? What is that thing?"

"I followed Riku."

"Riku's here?"

"Yeah, and Kairi too."

"We have to find them! Let's go!"

Natsumi nodded in agreement, turning to follow Sora as he rushed past her, only for him to be knocked back onto the ground by the creature she had just been talking at. Sora cried out, the tiny claws of the creature reaching for him as he tried to fend it off.

"Hey!"

She jumped forward, reaching out without thinking to grab the creature around its middle. She had just opened her mouth to scold it when it scrambled free from her arms and dropped gracelessly to the ground. Sora dodged another swipe of the creature's claws. Natsumi reached for it again, but before she could grab it the creature fell off the dock and into the water.

Their reprieve was short-lived. The blonde breathed a sigh of relief, only for her heart to jump into her throat again. More shadows were appearing from the dock, and now she and Sora were surrounded.

"We gotta go!"

Sora grabbed her hand, pulling her forward and darting through a space between two of the shadows. They ran across the island, quickly stopping by the shack and grabbing their respective weapons. A new shadow seemed to appear with every step they took, their weapons just going harmlessly through the creatures as the storm raged on.

The once familiar and welcoming scenery had transformed into the stuff of nightmares. Branches from the palm trees were flying around, more than once nearly hitting the two teens. In between the branches more shadows lunged at them, and Natsumi couldn't help but notice that they were all aiming for Sora. The knowledge only served to confuse her more as she and Sora finally set foot on the paopu islet.

The storm covered up the familiar sound of their footsteps pounding across the bridge, but there on the islet was Riku. Natsumi's hand slipped from Sora as she drew away from him, the sight of Riku giving her a new burst of energy.

"Riku!"

This time he heard her and turned, opening his arms as she threw herself into them, careful not to hit him with her staff. She hugged him tightly before pulling away to look up at him.

"Why did you run off like that? What's going on?"

She wasn't sure why she asked the question, why she thought he might have any idea what the storm and strange shadow creatures were. But now that she thought about them, she realized the shadows were strangely absent.

"It's okay, Natsu." Riku rubbed her arms soothingly, drawing her attention back. His face and voice were as calm as if they were just standing on the islet to watch the sun set. "Everything's going to be okay."

"Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!"

Riku looked up at Sora, hands absently falling from Natsumi's arms to grab her free hand. Natsumi glanced over her shoulder at Sora's worried expression, a pang of guilt twisting her heart. For a moment, she'd completely forgotten about Kairi.

"The door has opened…"

Natsumi's eyes widened.

"The door? The one in the Secret Place?"

She couldn't see it through the debris flying around, but she looked off in the direction of the Secret Place. She didn't realize she was trying to walk towards it until she felt the resistance of Riku's hand still holding hers.

"What?"

"The door has opened, Sora! Now we can go to the outside world!"

"What are you talking about? We've gotta find Kairi!"

"Kairi's coming with us," Riku snapped, looking down from the sky. "Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

Despite the pang of guilt in her chest at leaving behind the woman she'd called "mom" most of her life, Natsumi found that she wasn't afraid either. The darkness swirling around them, the debris flying through the air, the shadow creatures — none of it mattered, except Riku's hand in hers, and that fact that the door was finally open. As Riku reached for Sora with his free hand, Natsumi's lips stretched into a smile. Any guilt or uncertainty she had felt was washed away with the thought of finding her castle after all these years.

When the pool of darkness erupted under their feet, she didn't so much as flinch, instead knowing in her heart that Riku was right. This was their way to the outside world. The way to her castle.

Sora's hand was inches away from gripping Riku's, but before he could reach it, the darkness crested and enveloped them completely. All she knew was falling, unable to see anything, the only sign that Riku was still with her his hand in hers. Suddenly that hand was gone and she was falling alone. She tried to call his name, but the darkness swallowed her voice.

Then, darkness swallowed her, too.

* * *

 **A/N:** Wowee, this ended up being the longest chapter yet, guys! I got about halfway through and realized, while it had reached the average page length I try for, I wasn't ready to end the chapter yet. I wasn't confident in my ability to make the night of the island's destruction a whole chapter, so instead I decided to make this one a little extra long. And I'm just ready to have them off the island. So a lot of stuff happened this chapter! A little bit of sparring, the iconic race, Riku and Natsumi got together (which I wasn't planning for this chapter, but felt like the most organic moment for that to happen), and the islands were destroyed. I think it's safe to say the next chapter won't be quiiiiiite so eventful. Anyways, as always, thanks for reading, and if you've got time, please drop a review!


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7_

Everything hurt.

Her body ached like it never had before, and even opening her eyes was a struggle. Once she managed it, her vision was blurry and she had to blink a few times before it cleared. The room was dark, something that was as unnerving as it was helpful. She was sure any more light would cause the dull throbbing in her head to intensify and she was already finding it difficult to think through the pain. Slowly though, she was able to block it out enough to push herself up into a sitting position.

Looking around the room, she started to take in her surroundings. Through the dim lighting she could see that she wasn't actually in a room exactly, but rather a long hallway. The large doors behind her indicated that it was an entryway and when she looked up to take in the size of it, she had to tilt her head all the way back to see the ceiling. She pushed herself up a bit further, fingers digging into a plush carpet that ran down the length of the hallway. She looked down, lifting her hand up and staring at it.

"Riku…" Ignoring her aching limbs, she clambered to her feet, hoping to see farther down the hallway. Hoping to see him. "Riku?"

Her voice echoed around her, hundreds of Natsumis all calling out for him. She bit her lip and clenched her fist tightly. In all of her imaginings, she'd never thought that she would be separated from her friends. Stepping forward, she tried again.

"Riku? Sora? Kairi?"

Still, there was no answer. A flash of movement drew her attention and she whirled around only to find that nothing was there. Nothing, except for the staff she had grabbed from the island, now broken jaggedly in two. She walked over and picked it up, eyeing each splintered end. The silence around her was deafening. She knew that the weapon was useless against those creatures that had so determinedly attacked Sora, and yet… she was having a hard time letting go of it.

Shaking her head, she frowned down at the two pieces of wood before dropping them to the ground. There was no reason to hold on to it, even if those creatures came after her. Even as the thought crossed her mind, worrying about the shadows was the lowest thing on her list of priorities. She took a deep breath and turned away from the staff, leaving it behind.

Natsumi walked up a set of short stairs, coming to a pair of double doors. Reaching out, she rested her hand upon the surface, reminded of the way she and Riku had laid their hands upon the door in the Secret Place. She wondered why it hadn't opened then, why it had been the day after. What had finally caused it to open? Had Riku gone back there without her? She huffed, pushing open the doors and walking through.

The room beyond was lighter than the hallway had been and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the difference. Once they did she was able to see that she'd entered what looked like a second entrance hall. Her footsteps echoed on the blue tile floor, and across the room was a fountain, empty pool guarded by a lion's gaping mouth. On either side of the fountain were staircases, leading upwards to yet another set of doors. Armed sentinels stood at attention around the edges of the circular room. The empty eyeholes of their helmets stared at her, sending shivers down her spine. With the openness of the room, it was obvious to see that nobody was there, let alone her friends.

She had just started heading for the stairs when she jerked her head up. There on the landing was a figure clad in a worn brown cloak. A figure she was certain hadn't been there just seconds ago.

"Hello? I'm… lost. Can you help me?"

The figure didn't answer, the dark shadow underneath its hood pointed in her direction the only indication that it had even heard her. She took a step forward only to flinch and stop dead in her tracks at the large crash that came from behind her. Whirling around she saw that the doors she had come through were now closed, and there was no visible reason for their abrupt closure. With wide eyes, she turned back towards the figure, finding that it had suddenly disappeared.

"Hello?" She called again, voice rising a bit in pitch and urgency.

She was starting to regret leaving the broken pieces of her staff in the entryway. She hadn't thought about running into anything malicious other than those creatures, and at least if she'd had her staff she'd have _something_ to defend herself. Thinking it was best if she went back for it, she started to leave the room.

"My, my." Natsumi froze with her hand on the door, something in that voice setting her immediately on edge. "My dear child, what on earth are you doing here?"

She took a deep breath. The voice was feminine and the tone was kind, but there was still an odd feeling in the back of her mind. She pulled her hand away from the door and turned around slowly.

Up on the landing where the first figure had appeared and disappeared in a matter of moments there was now a woman, clad all in black. She stood tall, pale green eyes surveying Natsumi from a pallid face. The woman held a staff in her hands, sharp red fingernails tapping over the green orb at its top. As soon as Natsumi's eyes found the orb, she couldn't look away, the glow it emitted entrancing. It looked just like…

"Well, child? Speak up."

Natsumi shook her head rapidly to clear it and pulled her eyes away to meet the woman's.

"I'm… lost." The word seemed lackluster to describe her situation, but she knew nothing about where she was or who she was talking to, and had no idea how much she could tell this woman. "I just woke up here. Is this your castle?"

The woman surveyed her a moment longer before she gave Natsumi a semblance of a smile that the girl couldn't return.

"An astute girl, guarding the knowledge of your true origins."

"What? I—I don't understand."

"Did you think that visitors could arrive in my dominion undetected?"

She began walking down the stairs towards Natsumi, who watched her every movement warily. The girl knew by this woman's demeanor that the answer was most certainly no. But the words brought her friends back to the forefront of her mind.

"So you know whenever somebody new shows up?"

If the woman was bothered by Natsumi asking more questions instead of answering her own, she didn't show it.

"Indeed. I knew it the moment you arrived."

"Then, can you tell me, are my friends here?"

Natsumi stepped forward in her excitement, approaching the woman at the bottom of the stairs and clenching her hands together tightly. Her earlier wariness was entirely replaced by the hope that she might be reunited with her friends. She didn't know how long she'd been unconscious, lying here in this new world without them, but it had already been far too long. The thought of how Riku's hand had been torn from hers in the darkness sent a sharp pain through her chest. If only she'd held on tighter…

The woman leaned down, reaching out so that Natsumi thought she might place a hand on her shoulder or smooth her mussed ponytail. Instead, she pulled her hand back and straightened.

"I fear you are the only one, dear child. Wherever your friends are, they did not make the journey here with you."

"Oh…" Her gaze dropped and she sighed heavily. "Okay."

She'd been so certain that her friends had made the journey with her, at the very least she had thought Riku did. Her fingers found the bracelet on her wrist, twirling it around and around. If Sora, Riku, and Kairi weren't here, then what was she supposed to do?

"Worry not." The woman's voice made her look back up. "This world is no stranger to castaways, and neither am I. I'll help you find what you're searching for."

"You will?"

"Meanwhile, you may stay here. All I ask is that you help me in return."

"I can do that," Natsumi said hurriedly.

"I'm sure you can," the woman said with a pleased smile. She put a hand on Natsumi's shoulder, using it to steer the girl towards the stairs and lead her up them. "But first, what is your name, child?"

"It's Natsumi."

The woman paused briefly before she replied.

"Natsumi. Quite a pleasure to meet you. I am Maleficent."

"Maleficent," Natsumi repeated slowly, looking up at her. "Thank you."

"Not at all, my dear… I'm happy to help."

Maleficent led her through the double doors at the top of the stairs and into a library, whose towering shelves seemed almost mazelike. The girl couldn't help but look around with wide eyes, taking in volume after volume until they climbed yet more stairs and exited the library. She tried to carefully catalogue all the twists and turns they were taking, but quickly found herself unable to keep track. Instead, she allowed Maleficent to lead her, curiously observing everything she could.

Every twist and turn led them deeper into the castle. A few times, Nastumi found herself pausing to take in her surroundings — large doors leading into an even larger ballroom, a dining room, and a set of glass doors that led into what once may have been a courtyard, but was now overgrown and full of rubble. Each time, Maleficent once more placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, gently prompting her onward.

The entire castle was decrepit, cobwebs hanging from empty sconces making Natsumi grimace. Underneath their feet the red carpet was dulled from age and dust. From the corner of her eye, she glanced up at Maleficent, wondering what kind of a ruler would let their castle fall into such disrepair. Every so often, she would see more flashes of movement that disappeared before she could even turn her head. It was nothing like the castles in her storybooks.

Despite the castle's derelict nature, a new hope was starting within her, something small and uncertain. Nothing looked familiar, but she couldn't help but wonder…

Could this be the castle from her memories?

Finally, Maleficent came to a stop and Natsumi followed suit. They stood in front of a large wooden door, and when Maleficent tapped her staff against the floor, the door opened on its own. Natsumi glanced into the room and then looked back up at Maleficent.

"This will be your room. Make yourself comfortable," the woman prompted. "And we will begin the search for your friends once you've rested."

"I don't need to rest. I need to find my friends," she said, crossing her arms.

Maleficent's face contorted in a split second of irritation.

"It is clear you have had a long journey, and I have other matters I must attend to."

"But—"

"You would do well to be grateful for my kindness, child. Others may not have been so welcoming."

Natsumi bit her tongue at this, if only because the woman had managed to do what very few could and made her feel ashamed of her boldness. Her mother had always told her to be polite, but she still couldn't keep the words from slipping out. She'd barely given the woman a second thought since she chased Riku out into the storm. Suddenly she missed Sumie with a fierceness that nearly drove her to tears. Instead, she took a deep breath.

"Thank you, Maleficent."

"Rest well, child," was all the woman said before, with a swish of her robes, she turned and walked back the way they had come.

Natsumi watched her go, brow furrowing a bit as a shadow seemed to detach itself from the rest of the shadows in the corridor and follow after Maleficent. She started a bit when the noise came from above, and not the floor like she'd expected it to. Wings, flapping through the air to land on Maleficent's shoulder. Almost absentmindedly Maleficent reached up with her free hand to pat the raven's head, and as her blood red fingernails pulled away, the bird turned its head to look directly at Natsumi.

She held her breath under its stare, though she watched it defiantly all the same, until both it and Maleficent were swallowed by the shadows of the castle. She stared at the empty hallway a while longer, half expecting the shadows to come to life, yellow eyes peering at her like they had the night before, but nothing happened. Letting out a sigh, she turned towards the door, putting her hand on the doorframe and closing her eyes. She couldn't believe it hadn't even been a day since she and her friends had thought they'd be discovering worlds together as they sailed across the sea on a raft. The idea seemed thoroughly foolish and childish now.

The girl only allowed herself a moment of reprieve, opening her eyes again to take in the room. It was a square room, a single bed along the far left wall and a desk sitting opposite it. Directly to her right was an L-shaped bookcase lining the wall, stretching from floor to ceiling. At any other time, she would have taken a look to see what kind of books it held, but any curiosity she'd had was smothered by one undeniable fact. Though there was piping jutting out from the walls along the ceiling, the rest of the wall was solid, cold stone.

This room had no windows.

Suddenly the air felt oppressively heavy, and instead of venturing in further to explore like she'd been planning on doing, she backed out of the room. She whirled away from the door and took off at a brisk walk down the hallway in the opposite direction from Maleficent. The shadows seemed to shift and swirl around her, and a tiny voice echoed Maleficent's, telling her that she probably should rest, but she brushed it off. She walked down the hallway aimlessly, turning at random as she ventured deeper into the castle.

She'd never had a bedroom without windows, and even with one she'd _always_ felt claustrophobic in her room, at least until Sumie had helped her put up her glow-in-the-dark stars. She didn't know how she was supposed to sleep in that dim room, let alone live there, and the knowledge that she had no other choice brought forth the tears she had managed to push back before. If only Riku was there. If only Sora or Kairi was there. Her fingers wrapped instinctively around her seashell bracelet, running the smooth shell between her fingers over and over until the tears stopped and her breathing began to even out.

"I'm not alone," she muttered to herself, roughly wiping the tears from her eyes.

She continued walking, now determined to find some way outside — a window, a door, the roof, a courtyard, it didn't matter where. Just somewhere she could see the sky. She hadn't fallen through a portal of tangible darkness and been separated from her friends just to trade one cage for another. There was resolve in every echoed footstep she took, further down the hallway until she came to a set of stairs and started climbing them without pause. The staircase ascended in a tight spiral, the near pitch-blackness making Natsumi trail her hand gingerly along the cold stone wall. She brushed against it just enough to follow the bend of the staircase and maintain her footing in the darkness.

Suddenly the staircase ended, opening up into a circular room. Natsumi barely gave a second glance to her surroundings, rushing across the room to one of the many windows, planting her hands on the sill and bracing herself as she stuck her head out the window. Any remnants of tears dried immediately on her face with her first glimpse of another world's sky. Her breath caught in her throat, eyes darting around to take in every inch of the pink sky stretching above her. It reminded her of the sunrise on Destiny Islands, muted and pale.

She took a few deep breaths, eyes still roving the outside world before they settled on the way the roof of the castle extended before her. It offered more than enough space for her to hoist herself out of the window and plop down onto the shingles with a deep sigh. Breathing came easier to her now, despite the fact she almost immediately started shivering. Even at night, with a cool breeze coming off the ocean, the islands never got this cold. She wondered if the world was always this cold, or if it had the same kind of ebb and flow as the islands.

In spite of the cold, she wrapped her arms around her legs and stayed resolutely put. Life on the islands had always seemed small, but now that she was looking at another world, breathing its air and sitting above one of its towns… Everything seemed suddenly insurmountably big.

She rested her chin on her knees, tilting her head slightly in an attempt to get more comfortable and preserve her body heat. Her eyes were just starting to slip shut when a small scratching sound sent them flying back open. She whirled around quickly on her hands and knees, scraping her knees across the rooftop as she searched for what had made the noise. After a few moments of searching she found the source of the noise, hidden in the shadows under a higher roof's awning, and her eyes narrowed.

"You," she said through gritted teeth, but made no move to stand.

The creature didn't respond in any way, large yellow eyes staring at her unblinkingly.

"What are you? Why were you on my island?"

Still, silence.

She huffed, looking around the roof for something to throw at the creature, but there was nothing. Instead she turned back to it, sitting up on her knees and crossing her arms.

"You're lucky I don't have anything to throw at you. Go away."

The creature finally moved, deigning to tilt its head and blink at her slowly, exactly the way it had on the islands. Her eyes narrowed further at the familiar gesture. She uncrossed her arms and clambered to her feet.

"Whatever you are," she said, taking a threatening step towards the creature, "wherever you came from, go back, and get away from me." When the creature still didn't respond, she took another step forward, raising her fist. "You attacked my friend and destroyed my island, now _go away_!"

Several more moments passed, and Natsumi was just about to close the distance between herself and the creature. She wasn't sure what she would do once she got to it, or even if she'd be able to hurt it, but she was past caring. Before she could do anything, however, the creature seemed to shiver, and then melted back into the shadows.

* * *

 **A/N:** So this one took a little bit longer and is a little bit shorter. Sorry about that! Some important things happened this chapter, so I don't feel too bad, and I hope you enjoyed it despite it being short!


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8_

She awoke with a jolt and then immediately shivered, goosebumps already prominent along her exposed arms. Dusky predawn light met her eyes, but that wasn't what had woken her up. No, that honor belonged to an already familiar yellow-eyed raven. It looked at her curiously, and then looked over her shoulder before opening its mouth and letting out a loud caw.

"Foolish girl," Maleficent's voice suddenly came from behind her.

She whirled around on her hands and knees, scraping her skin on the shingles as she did so. She winced, and was all at once aware of the fact that she was still shivering.

"Do you wish to catch your death? Come down from there at once."

Natsumi hesitated, a strange sense of deja vu washing over her before Maleficent's unamused stare snapped her out of it. She scrambled up to her feet and across the roof, the raven passing over her head to land on the green orb of Maleficent's staff. The woman stepped aside as Natsumi pulled herself back into the tower, not quite sure what to say for herself.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep. I just wanted to see the sky."

Maleficent was silent for a moment, gaze never leaving the teen in front of her.

"Be that as it may, there are more suitable places for viewing the sky. You could have fallen, and dashed your head to pieces on the rocks."

The girl involuntarily glanced back out the window. The roof wasn't steep, but that didn't mean she'd had any desire to test whether or not Maleficent's words were true.

"The roof's not that steep. I didn't think—"

"Yes, well, you'd best start thinking, hadn't you?"

Natsumi's gaze snapped back up to Maleficent, mouth opening to argue before the words had even started forming in her mind, but then her eyes met those of the raven and she remembered what Maleficent had said about being ungrateful. Even still, she couldn't force herself to utter an apology or acknowledgement of the woman's words. Instead she stayed silent.

Maleficent seemed to accept the girl's silence, robes billowing around her as she turned away to leave the room. Natsumi followed, rubbing the chill and goosebumps from her arms as she did so. She wasn't sure if Maleficent was angry with her and had forgiven her, or if she actually didn't care at all.

"You still wish to find your friends, do you not?"

Maleficent's voice rose over the echoing of their footsteps and Natsumi's gaze jumped up to the back of her head.

"Yes! Of course I do!"

The woman didn't pause in her steps.

"I sought you out to gather more information as to _who_ exactly I'm searching for."

"My friends!" Natsumi hastened her steps so that she could walk beside Maleficent, instead of behind. "Riku, Sora, and Kairi! Kairi's a little shorter than me, red hair, and blue eyes. Sora has blue eyes too, but we're the same height and he has brown hair. And Riku—" She felt her heart squeeze in her chest, her steps momentarily slowing. "Riku has silver hair, and his eyes are more of an aqua color…"

"That should suffice for the moment."

Natsumi looked back up at her.

"Is there… is there anything else I can do? I need to find them."

Maleficent stopped, and it was only then that Natsumi realized where the woman had been leading her. They stood once more outside the door to her borrowed bedroom. She couldn't help the grimace that twisted her lips at the thought of being stuck inside that room, all by herself.

"There is nothing you can do for the moment. I shall retrieve you when I need your assistance."

"But—"

This time the woman didn't even deign to respond, once more turning her back on the girl and walking away. Natsumi watched her go, fists clenching tighter the longer she stood there. Why did Maleficent think she couldn't help? They were _her_ friends! She had every right to know what Maleficent was doing, how she planned to find them.

With that thought in her mind she set off down the hall, grumbling to herself as her feet padded against the carpet. She rounded the corner only to find that Maleficent and her bird had vanished. For a moment, she hesitated, looking back and forth between her room and the way it seemed Maleficent had gone. Then she squared her shoulders, continuing on down the hallway.

It would take forever and a miracle for her to find Maleficent in this castle, but there was no way she was going back to her room empty-handed. She turned corners at random, gazing up at the walls and all of the adornments within the castle. There were tapestries and statues of disapproving dragons or gargoyles — she honestly wasn't sure which — lining the walls. And everywhere there seemed to be copper piping, running along the walls and sticking out at odd angles. When she held her hand against the metal it was cold as ice.

She'd spent many days and nights imagining what her castle, what any castle, might look like. Not once had they ever looked like this. The castles in her imagination and storybooks were always grand, warm and welcoming and full of light. If this was Maleficent's castle, where were her subjects? Where were the steward, chamberlain, or butler? Where was anybody? The whole castle seemed empty and abandoned. Hollow. She found herself hoping that this wasn't her castle after all.

As she walked further, she found that the castle seemed to become a little brighter and a little warmer. Her path led her through a large wooden door. On the other side of it was the library that Maleficent had led her through the day before. Now that she wasn't being rushed through by the woman she was able to stop and actually take a look at the room.

There were large stained glass windows lining a curved wall. They stretched from floor to ceiling, bathing the entire room in prisms of light, from reds to greens to purples. To her right there was a large, curving stairway that led down into the rest of the library. Shelves upon shelves of books surrounded her, positioned in weird ways that made it look every bit the maze that it had felt like. Just like in the rest of the castle there were copper pipes sticking out from the ceiling, surrounding an ornate chandelier with light bulbs that looked like crystals. She couldn't help but stare at it in awe.

While the library itself was beautiful, she wasn't overly interested in looking at any of the books themselves. That is, until she saw one of the tomes open on a desk, and took a closer look at the diagrams within it. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she looked over the measurements and instructions, vaguely thinking that she hadn't noticed this book out yesterday. The girl paused, thinking she really should leave the book where it was and keep looking for Maleficent, but… Her curiosity was great, and it seemed that the woman had vanished. She sat down, reaching out to close the book and read its title.

" _Hafet vol. 4_?"

The word was unfamiliar, but she found herself turning to the first page and starting to read. The more she read, the more it became clear that it was a book of spells for learning magic. She took in more unfamiliar words; firaga, blizzaga, thundaga, reading how each could be harnessed if a person with magical talents willed it. She looked at her hand, briefly entertaining the notion of holding fire in her palm and not getting burned. It wasn't until she stretched, extending her arms over her head and leaning back in the chair, that she caught sight of the windows and realized how long she'd been reading.

Night had fallen while she'd been consumed in the book, and with it was gone another day without her friends. A hollow feeling started in the pit of her stomach, wondering just how much longer she would be without them.

* * *

Days passed like this, with Natsumi exploring the castle, avoiding her room, and receiving consistent chastising from Maleficent for where she chose to sleep. She didn't go out onto the roof anymore, but had found two places she preferred to sleep than her room. She'd yanked the comforter off of her borrowed bed and used it to create a nest of sorts underneath the windows in the library. When that wasn't good enough, she took the blanket outside to a balcony that she'd found near the library. Underneath the stars, she wondered which one her friends were on.

The blonde grew used to Maleficent's reprimands, countering her with the fact that this time where she'd chosen to sleep wasn't dangerous. After almost a week of the same argument, Maleficent relented and allowed the girl her bundle of blankets and books. When the woman had seen the sorts of books that Natsumi was looking at, she'd paused for a moment and then turned her gaze on the girl. It seemed to Natsumi as though the woman was searching for something, though she couldn't tell whether or not she'd found it.

For her part, Natsumi found the books incredibly interesting, despite not being able to perform any of the magic in them. Hard as she tried, nothing ever happened when she tried the spells and she couldn't help but feel disappointed, each and every time.

She had her blanket wrapped around her shoulders, pressed between her back and the windows as she attempted a blizzard spell. It seemed to her that this was the most practical spell to work on, as it would cause the least amount of damage. Fire and thunder, she thought, would burn up the whole library if she finally managed to succeed. She read the instructions one last time before setting the book in her lap. With a deep breath, she held out her hand and closed her eyes, trying to envision the ice forming in her hand.

After several long moments of holding her breath, she opened her eyes again, a wave of disappointment washing over her. Just like all the countless times before, there was nothing, though she could have sworn she'd felt the temperature around her hand drop, ever so slightly. She sighed, looking past her hand.

"I don't suppose _you_ know what I'm doing wrong, do you?"

She'd given up on trying to get the small shadow creature to leave her alone; it followed her around relentlessly, day in and day out. Eventually, she'd given up chasing it away from her, especially once she'd started getting the feeling that it actually thought of her chasing it as a game, like some sort of twisted version of tag. It never got too close, but watched her with that same curiously puzzled expression it had worn the first night she saw it. She closed the book and began tapping the cover thoughtfully.

"You know, I can't just keep calling you "you"." She tilted her head at it and it echoed the action, staring at her unblinkingly. "What about… Kumo?"

She couldn't think of a better name for a creature that had appeared during the worst storm she'd ever seen. The only answer it gave her was to finally blink, slowly. Natsumi rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the tiny quirk of her lips. She shook her head and let out a sigh. Somehow the creature was actually kind of cute.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes."

She stared at the cover of the book for a little bit, running her fingers over the it before she set it to the side and looked up. The sun coming through the window behind her cast prisms of colorful light on the ceiling. It was a sight almost beautiful enough to rival those on Destiny Islands. The thought caused an ache to start in her heart. The longer she had to go without news of Sora, Riku, and Kairi, the more worried she became. Why hadn't they all ended up on the same world? What had happened to send all of them off to different places? What kind of storm was strong enough to tear apart an entire world, and had Sora ended up consumed by the darkness as well?

A gentle nudging at her arm brought her out of her thoughts. Kumo stood there, butting its head against her elbow. As soon as it had her attention, it looked up, and then jumped back, waddling away from her. It looked back at her over its shoulder, swaying on its large feet. The shadow walked a little bit further, and then repeated the action, yellow eyes wide.

"You… want me to follow you?" At her words, Kumo turned and darted away. "H-hey! Wait up!"

Natsumi scrambled to her feet, abandoning her blanket and books to chase after the creature. Kumo led her out of the library and through the lift stop, hopping up and down until she activated the lift. Once they stopped, it was racing off again, leading her through corridor after corridor, down places she hadn't even been able to explore yet. She didn't have a chance to look around, but she couldn't deny that the farther they went, the darker and colder it got until she started to feel the chill in her bones.

She was about to ask the creature how much farther they were going to go when it suddenly stopped directly in front of her. Wide-eyed, she ran right into it, the little shadow getting tangled in her legs as she went crashing to the ground. The blond only allowed herself a moment to wince at the pain in her arms and back before she was quickly sitting up. She reached out for the little thing, just barely getting it to its feet and asking if it was okay when it wiggled free from her arms to claw at the door they'd stopped in front of.

Her eyes widened when, seeing that it couldn't get the door open, Kumo simply sank into the floor and disappeared underneath the door. She jumped to her feet, completely forgetting about the pain she had just been in and opening the door. The room beyond was only dimly lit by the light in the hallway, devoid of windows in the same way she was finding most of the rooms in the castle to be. But that only held her attention briefly as her eyes adjusted to the lack of light in the room and she could see what it contained.

Natsumi's breath caught in her throat, taking in the multitude of _weapons_ spread along the walls. There were swords, shields, daggers, and even more weapons that she didn't know the names of. As far as she could tell they were all organized by type. She stepped further into the room, hand hovering over the weapons as she passed by them. Every shelf and rack was taken by a weapon, all except for one that she paused by before continuing on through the room.

Suddenly, she stumbled, looking down to see that Kumo was once again underfoot. As soon as it knew she was looking, it skittered off across the room. She almost lost it in the darkness, but her eyes had adjusted just enough to follow his path to where the staffs rested. Her eyes widened again as she looked the staffs up and down, pace quickening as she followed Kumo. The staffs were varying colors and heights, some very simple while others were more intricate. She looked over each one carefully, thinking back to how her own staff had broken before she'd even arrived on this world. It would be nice to have something to defend herself with again. She glanced at Kumo out of the corner of her eyes. Even _if_ she hadn't seen any more of those creatures since she'd arrived and the one that she did keep seeing didn't seem interested in attacking her.

She looked back up at the staffs, eyes falling on one in particular that was similar in size and length to the one she'd had on the islands. There was one vast difference between this one and hers though, a single green orb at the top, very like Maleficent's except for the ornate metal that looked like thin tree branches surrounding it. When she hesitated, Kumo looked up at her, eyes glowing, looking almost encouraging. She took a deep breath, and then reached out and grabbed it. As soon as her fingers wrapped around it, the orb glowed, sending a bright green light through the room and momentarily blinding her.

"Did you… know this was here?" Kumo came back into view slowly and, as usual, gave no answer. "Will this help me with magic?" Again, no answer, but she remembered reading in the books that sometimes a conduit was needed for magic. "Well… It can't hurt to borrow it, right? After all, it's not like I'm leaving the castle with it." A small laugh escaped her when Kumo's response was to blink slowly at her. "Alright then, let's go put it in my room."

The blonde followed Kumo through the castle again until things once more became familiar and she was able to find her room on her own. After the staff was safely stored in her room, she left it to make her way back to the library. It was too late now for her to start attempting magic again and nothing sounded better at that moment than to curl up in her bundle of blanket and try to forget that she'd be spending another night without her friends.

She looked up when she heard voices traveling through the hallway, one of them clearly Maleficent's. She was about to ignore it and continue on her way to the library, when the answering voice made her freeze.

She'd know that voice _anywhere_.

All at once she was racing through down the corridor towards the voices, leaving Kumo far behind. Her heart was pounding from something that wasn't exertion, and she urged her legs to move faster. Some irrational part of her couldn't shake the idea that if she didn't get there soon he would be gone again and she'd have no chance of finding him. She was terrified that it was just her mind playing tricks on her, that she'd find Maleficent and the person with her would be a stranger. The voices grew louder as she got closer until finally she turned a corner and saw Maleficent's back. And directly next to her was—

"Riku!"

The pair turned towards her, Riku's eyes widening as he saw her.

"Natsumi?"

He didn't get the chance to say anything else though as she threw her arms around him, sending them both crashing to the floor. When his arms wrapped around her, tears welled up in her eyes and she shut them tightly. She buried her face in his shoulder and breathed in deeply, the familiar smell of him comforting.

"It's really you."

"O-of course it's me, who else would it be?"

She squeezed him tighter and then abruptly pulled away, eyes roving his face as if she still wasn't sure it was truly him. His cheeks were red, hair tousled from their fall, but there was a light in his eyes that let her know he was just as excited to see her. In the next moment, she leaned down, closing her eyes as she pressed her lips against his. She felt his sharp intake of breath, his lips parting slightly and arms loosening around her. Her heart only had a split-second to panic that she'd done something wrong before he was returning the kiss. She wasn't sure what to do with her lips or hands, but found that she didn't much care, because Riku was kissing her back and that was all that mattered.

The sound of Maleficent clearing her throat brought them back to reality, Riku wincing as his head hit the ground when they jerked away from each other.

"My, my, what a greeting," Maleficent said, watching the two teens help each other to their feet.

Natsumi felt her face turning red, but couldn't help the grin that split her face.

"Maleficent, this is Riku, my…"

Her eyes found Riku, looking incredibly embarrassed, but also fighting back a smile if the quirk of his lips was any indication. They hadn't released each other's hands when they stood and with his free hand, he reached up and rubbed the back of his head. The blonde couldn't call him her friend, though that was what she had told Maleficent when she first arrived.

"My boyfriend."

Her heart swelled with pride as she said the word, overjoyed that he was here, and that he was _safe_.

"Well, how wonderful. In light of this, I shall take my leave. Riku." His attention jerked up to Maleficent. "We shall continue our conversation tomorrow."

Riku nodded at her words and, seemingly satisfied by his response, she left them alone. It was only now as she was walking away that Natsumi noticed her raven was absent. But she couldn't be bothered to think on that long as she and Riku caught eyes and she was once again grinning uncontrollably. They embraced again, and as she smiled into his chest, Natsumi knew everything was going to be okay.

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm baaaaaaaaaack! I apologize for the long wait guys, but I was once again inspired with other side projects. I hope to eventually be posting some of those here, though I am trying to keep my attention mainly on _Soul Eater_. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and as always, if you have time, please leave a review!


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9_

It was easier to be cooped up in a room with no windows when she didn't have to be by herself. She and Riku lay nose to nose in his bed, one that looked eerily similar to her own, but was infinitely better for one simple fact. Riku was there with her. She was still in disbelief and completely overjoyed that they were together again, fingers laced between them. They kept alternating between staring at each other in awe and laughing at the wonderstruck expressions on each other's faces.

"I still can't believe you're here," Natsumi admitted.

"You can't believe I'm here? I've been here for days, I can't believe _you're_ here."

"Wait, so you've been here this whole time?"

He nodded, the action mussing his hair against the pillow they shared.

"Yeah, ever since the islands…"

Riku looked away from her, his hands tightening around hers the slightest bit. She knew the minute shifts in his attitude well enough to know that there was more bothering him than remembering how Destiny Islands had been torn apart.

"Riku… what happened that night?"

She almost thought he wouldn't answer her, until he took a deep breath.

"Kairi was there too, on the play island."

"Yeah, Sora and I saw her boat. But we never found her. We thought she was with you, and then…"

"She wasn't with me. I don't know where she was. Kairi was already there when _I_ got there."

Natsumi's eyes widened.

"She was?"

Riku nodded again.

"There was…"

"...was what, Riku?" When he didn't answer, she pressed further. "You can tell me anything." Still, he didn't speak. "Riku, look at me." It took a moment, but he did as she asked.

As soon as his face was turned towards her, she scooted forward, softly pressing her lips against his for the second time. When she pulled back, his aqua eyes were wide, his cheeks red. Her own face felt hot, and she couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her. Riku's expression shifted, and her giggle died off, the last vestiges of the sound captured by his lips. Her eyes slipped shut as he disentangled their fingers to reach up and cup her face. She wrapped her fingers around his wrists, gripping tightly. After a moment, they broke apart and she felt him press his forehead against hers. Every touch was bliss, reassuring her that he was really, truly there.

"At first I thought I was imagining your voice. I… was so scared… that I'd never see you again."

"I wouldn't stop until I found you again. No matter what."

She smiled, opening her eyes to look at him.

"You found me," she teased.

Riku's answering smile made everything seem right in the world, as though nothing existed except the two of them here in this room.

"Technically, you found me."

"Hey," she said when she sensed the apprehension in his tone. "We'll find Sora and Kairi too. Maleficent said she'd help me find you, and here you are."

Her words caused his smile to fall completely into a frown.

"Right. Maleficent." His eyes darkened as they met Natsumi's. "What do you know about her?"

Natsumi gave a little half shrug. It wasn't that she hadn't thought about it, though she had been trying not to. Sure, the woman seemed odd, but Natsumi was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, she _had_ seemed concerned with Natsumi's wellbeing.

"I know that this is her world, and her castle. I think she's all alone, at least, I haven't seen anyone else." Her brow furrowed. "Except… one other person. Somebody in a brown cloak."

Riku's hands tightened ever so slightly on her face before he caught himself. The action drew her gaze back to him.

"Riku?"

"That person in the brown cloak… did he say anything to you?"

"No," she answered slowly. Riku's question had reminded her how strange that encounter had been. "It— he just stood there. Then the doors slammed shut, and when I turned around he was gone. Why? Do you know who he is?"

"No, something just… feels off. Why wouldn't Maleficent tell me that you were here? And why didn't she tell you I was here?"

"I…" Natsumi hesitated. She'd been too caught up in the joy of finding Riku again to ask that question. And now that she was thinking about it, she found that she was no closer to having an answer than it seemed he was. "I don't know."

The realization made her uneasy. They didn't know anything about Maleficent, except what she told them, and she hadn't told Natsumi anything.

"That's why I'm not so sure about this… arrangement. She's hiding things from us."

"That conversation she mentioned you two having — what was it about?"

Riku looked away again, expression sheepish, and a little bit guilty.

"Don't get mad, okay?"

"Why would I get mad?"

"Because this isn't the only world I've been to since we left Destiny Islands."

Her eyes immediately widened as she reflexively lashed out to punch his shoulder.

"Riku! You went without me?"

"I didn't know you were here!"

"No excuses!" she countered, giving him another smack.

"I was trying to find Sora and Kairi!"

Her next smack stopped in midair as her eyes widened again and she retracted her hand.

"And? Did you find them?" She already knew the answer and her thoughts were only confirmed when he couldn't meet her eyes. "No… of course not. Otherwise…"

Otherwise the four of them would already be together again. If he'd found them, she wouldn't even need to be asking the question in the first place. She bit her lip and looked away from him, the weight of their situation once again apparent. Could they actually place their trust in Maleficent to help them find Sora and Kairi after she had hidden them from each other?

Riku's lips on her forehead and his hands once more on her cheeks pulled her from her thoughts.

"That's what I was talking to Maleficent about. She said if I helped her, she'd help me find you guys. So I've been helping her and looking for you on the worlds she sends me to."

"How many worlds have you been to?"

Riku paused before answering.

"Four."

" _Four_?"

He grinned sheepishly, the expression quickly becoming a smirk.

"And you're coming with me to the next one."

"The next one?"

"Are you just gonna keep copying me?" Riku asked, laughing.

"Oh, shut it!"

When she pouted and he only kept laughing, she gripped his hands, moving forward to press their lips together again. His laughter stopped immediately as he returned the kiss. Each kiss was better than the last, becoming more comfortable as they learned how their lips fit together just right.

"Are you just going to kiss me now every time you want me to stop talking?"

"Mmm-maybe. Are you complaining?"

"Not even a little bit," he said, sneaking another kiss.

She'd never felt like there was anything missing to their relationship, but being able to kiss him and finding that it was just as simple and natural as everything else was made her giddy.

"Hey," she said. "Tell me about the worlds you went to."

Riku hesitated.

"Are you sure? It won't… make you upset?"

Natsumi huffed before sitting up and crossing her arms. Riku copied her actions, looking at her as he leaned against the wall.

"Riku, we've been dreaming about other worlds our whole lives. I don't even remember my home, and I've been stuck here alone. So just tell me about the things you saw, okay?"

Aqua eyes looked away from her as he rubbed his bare arm.

"Okay, okay," he said with a small smile. "I'll tell you everything."

Natsumi's eyes lit up with anticipation and she couldn't help the small squeak that escaped her. Before Riku could start talking, she scooted across the bed, curling up at his side and draping his arm over her shoulders. When she looked up, his cheeks were turning red and she could tell he wanted to rub the back of his head, but couldn't with the wall right behind him. Instead he reached up and scratched his cheek, averting his gaze from her. She couldn't help but smile at the sight, once again realizing just how much she had missed him.

When he started talking, she closed her eyes, listening to his descriptions and trying to picture the worlds he was telling her about. His voice soothed her as he described worlds where the plants were taller than he was, where cats and caterpillars talked, and another world where gods walked amongst humans.

"And you actually met one. A god." The blonde's tone was vaguely disbelieving, but held an undertone of awe. Riku nodded in affirmation. "No way. What was he like?"

"Honestly? Annoying."

Natsumi let her mouth drop open in surprise.

"Really? Annoying?"

Riku laughed.

"Yeah, he talked really fast and never shut up."

"Sooo, Sora?" Natsumi asked with a teasing smile, making Riku laugh again.

"No way. Definitely not like Sora."

"Hmm." Natsumi settled back into the comfortable space at his side. "Tell me more."

He continued on, telling her about a third world where it was always night, and despite the bright neon lights of the shops the stars were always visible, shining brightly above the town. He told her about the bell tower, and the fountain in what he called the second district. Natsumi closed her eyes again, trying to picture these worlds in her head, occasionally interrupting to ask him more questions. She had almost fallen asleep when she noticed his voice trail off. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked up at him.

"Why'd you stop?"

"I thought you fell asleep."

She made a noise of disagreement, shaking her head against his chest before sitting up abruptly.

"Nuh-uh."

Riku paused and then smiled softly.

"Natsu, you look exhausted."

"I don't want to sleep," she said.

For a moment they stared at each other, Riku's eyes searching her face. Finally, he simply nodded and leaned back against the wall again, his hand trailing down her arm.

"What do you want to do?"

"Hmmm…" She looked around the room, eyes finding the dresser, the desk with books open on top of it, taken from the bookshelf against a different wall. Riku had always been curious, eager to learn any way he could, so it didn't surprise her to see them at all. "Have you been to the library?"

When Riku shook his head, she could only grin.

"C'mon."

Leading Riku by the hand, they left his room, traversing the dark hallways. The long carpets kept their footsteps hushed, the windows revealing bright moonlight and lighting their way. In between each pane of glass, she thought she saw the shadows moving, just like that night on the islands. But with Riku's hand in hers, the glowing yellow eyes never appeared. They took stairs and rounded corners, and when she looked back, she could tell that Riku was hopelessly lost. She couldn't help but giggle, drawing his attention from looking around in awe to smile sheepishly at her.

"This way," she whispered, grabbing both of his hands and pulling him onto the lift with her before activating the diamond shaped switch that would take them down to the grand hall outside the library.

She stopped abruptly in front of the double doors, grinning at him mischievously before releasing his hands to throw the doors open wide.

"Ta-da!"

She spun around, throwing out her arms as she faced the library. The lights in their sconces were glowing dimly, giving just enough light to see all the books upon the shelves that reached up to the ceiling. Riku had his neck craned back, following the shelves all the way up, and Natsumi smiled softly at his awed expression. She wondered if that was how she had looked the first time she had seen the library.

The blonde gave him a moment to take in the room, and then she again took his hands, pulling him further into the library.

"This is where you've been?"

"Mhmm." Her smile fell a bit as she remembered that she and Riku had been in the same castle for a lot longer than either of them had realized. "My room looks just like yours — no window." He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "So instead of sleeping in there…"

"You sleep in here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, lip twitching as he tried not to laugh.

"Don't laugh! It's stuffy in that room."

"Very stuffy," he said, laughing a little despite himself.

"Anyways," she said pointedly, bumping him with her shoulder, "I found these windows, so I took my pillows and blankets and made a—"

"A nest," Riku managed before bursting out into full, loud laughter.

They had rounded a bookshelf, revealing the windows she told him about, and the nest he was referring to. Her things lay undisturbed, including the book that she had been trying to learn magic from, and a very familiar black shadow. Natsumi started towards the pile, intending to show Riku the book and what she had been doing before they reunited, before she was abruptly yanked back by the arm. She looked back at Riku, already wide eyes widening even further as she watched a sword appear in a burst of light in his hand.

"Riku, wha—?"

"Stay back!"

Stunned, she let him pull her to stand behind him, still trying to take in the weapon in his hand. He held it differently than he had held his wooden sword on the islands, as though he still wasn't used to how it felt to wield it. The blue and red blade was shaped like a wing, but her attention was glued to the bright blue eye set just above the handle.

It wasn't until Riku ran forward that she realized what was going on.

"Riku, no!"

She ran after him, reaching out to grab the back of his shirt and wrap her arms around him, the force of her running forward sending them tumbling to the ground again. They landed hard, the sword clattering to the floor and disappearing the same way it had appeared. Natsumi looked up from where her face had been buried in Riku's back, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw Kumo poking his head up from the blankets. His yellow eyes blinked at them slowly as he tilted his head. Her relief was short lived as Riku sat up, sending her tumbling from his back to the floor. She lashed out reflexively, hands once again digging into the yellow fabric of his shirt.

"Natsu, let go! What are you doing?"

"Riku, stop! That's Kumo!"

Riku froze immediately, looking over his shoulder at her, both of them still kneeling on the floor. His eyes were wide, but his face was also full of distrust and disdain.

"Kumo?"

"Yeah," Natsumi said, holding firmly to Riku's shirt. "He's…" Her gaze found the shadow again. "My friend."

"Your friend? Natsumi, that's the same thing that destroyed our island!"

"I know," she said quickly. "But I think he's okay. He hasn't done anything the whole time we've been here."

The shadow in question continued blinking slowly, looking from one teen to the other. Riku's eyes never left the creature and, as if sensing his turbulent emotions, the shadow melted into the ground and disappeared. Natsumi sighed in relief and finally relinquished Riku's shirt. He immediately turned to face her, expression disapproving.

"What makes you think you can trust it?"

"I… I don't know. It's just a feeling I have. It didn't try to hurt me that night, either…"

Riku's eyes widened.

"You didn't tell me that."

"I kind of forgot about it until now," she said sheepishly.

Riku stared at her for a moment longer before letting his head fall back with a sigh as he sat down on the ground.

"Riku…?"

"It's all so weird," he mumbled, still staring at the ceiling. "Those things…" He met her eyes. "They're not good, Natsumi."

Natsumi frowned.

"I saw what they did too, Riku. I'm not stupid, I didn't just randomly decide to trust Kumo."

"I never said you were," Riku said, shaking his head. "We just don't know anything about them."

"I know that Kumo wants to help," she argued.

"How?" Riku shot back.

The blonde paused, gaze finding the book of magic that she'd been poring over earlier. Her lips parted, and she spoke without looking at Riku.

"There's something I want to show you," she said, turning and smiling to see his confused expression.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hi everybody! I'd been meaning to get this chapter up before KH3 came out, but well, better late than never right? And playing the game really gave me the drive to want to finish this - seeing all these characters in action again has been a really amazing experience. I'm sure I'm nowhere near finishing the game, but I've been enjoying every second, and I hope you all are as well! Hopefully this drive keeps pushing me forward to finish this story, because there are a lot of things that I want Natsumi to do and see, and KH3 really just cemented that desire for me. Anyways, as always, thank you for reading, please review if you have time, and, if you have KH3, happy gaming!


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10_

"You're doing it wrong."

Natsumi looked over at where Riku stood, glancing between the book open in his arms and her. She frowned, standing up straight.

"What are you talking about? I'm doing it exactly the way the book says to."

"No, you're not," Riku said, turning the book around so that she could see the pages.

He pointed at the words and the faint diagrams that looked more like squiggles than an explanation of how to cast a blizzard spell. Once she had shown Riku the staff she had found in the armory, the two of them had almost immediately started studying how to perform magic. Despite staying up all night, the two of them were no closer to figuring it out than Natsumi had been on her own. She saw no difference between what she had been trying to do and what the book was showing, but maybe Riku could see something that she couldn't.

She was just about to walk over to him to see it closer when he moved first, bringing the book with him.

"See? Your stance is off." He then set it down onto the table before she could really get a closer look and her gaze snapped up to him in irritation. "You should hold your arms like this."

Natsumi's retort died in her throat as he came up behind her and repositioned her arms the way the book had instructed. It wasn't any more or less intimate than anything else they'd done before, but now that they'd put new labels on each other, it felt somehow weightier than it had before. Calling Riku her boyfriend to Maleficent had been the first time she'd said the word out loud and now that she could think past the relief of seeing him again, she couldn't help but consider the new possibilities. She could just turn her head ever so slightly and they'd be kissing again. A grin spread across her face as Riku's eyebrow rose and he smiled back at her.

"What?"

She shook her head just a little.

"Nothing, I'm just really happy you're here."

Riku blinked in surprise at her abrupt confession before his smile softened and he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

"I am too. Now, try again."

Natsumi couldn't help but roll her eyes. His no nonsense approach made her feel for just a moment as though they had never left the islands, like this was just another day, and he was trying to teach her how to spar. The thought caused her grin to shrink a little, wondering what exactly had happened to their home that night.

"All work and no play, huh?" she joked quickly to try to distract herself.

Riku scoffed, though she knew he was close to laughter, and his warm breath on her ear caused her to shiver.

"You don't think learning magic is fun?"

She huffed, scowling a bit at the staff in her hands. Of course she'd thought learning magic would be fun — who wouldn't? But after weeks of no success, not even so much as the subtlest of temperature changes, she was beginning to give up hope that she'd be able to learn after all.

"It would be more fun if anything would actually happen."

"Are you giving up?"

Her expression hardened at the question, and she pointedly reaffirmed her stance.

"No way," she said.

She reminded herself of the way the staff had glowed when she'd touched it, and the tiny feeling inside of her saying that she had been _meant_ to find it. And if that were true, then it had to mean that she was able to perform magic, too. This learning curve was frustrating and new to her, but she was going to prove that she could master it.

It wasn't until she'd heard Riku breathe out a soft "Whoa" that she realized she'd closed her eyes. Opening them again, they immediately widened at the sight of a thin layer of frost encasing the table and chairs in front of them. Her jaw dropped as she took it in, rushing forward and releasing the staff with one hand to run it along the table's surface. The ice was already melting in the warmth of the library, but it was cold against her fingertips all the same.

Her head jerked up to look at Riku, a wide grin spreading across her face. Riku barely had time to grin back at her before she raced forward, throwing her arms around him and jumping up and down.

"I did it, I did it!"

Riku's arms wrapped around her in return, squeezing her tightly.

"So that is where it wandered off to."

The two teens froze where they stood before separating quickly, cheeks turning red. Maleficent's eyes were on the staff clenched tightly in Natsumi's hands. Natsumi looked down at it and then back up at Maleficent.

"Is it a habit of yours to take things that don't belong to you?"

Natsumi flinched slightly, but met the woman's gaze all the same.

"I'm not stealing it, it hasn't left the castle."

Maleficent's eyes flashed, and Riku's hand was suddenly gripping Natsumi's elbow.

"Be that as it may, it is not yours to use."

Her voice was even, but it didn't hide the undertones of anger in her gaze. Natsumi bristled at her words, her fingers tightening even more around the staff.

"Why is it such a big deal? Nobody else was using it! It was sitting in a dark room, collecting dust."

"Natsu!"

The blonde didn't heed his words, or the way he tugged on her arm, instead holding Maleficent's gaze defiantly. To her surprise, Maleficent was the one who broke their stare first, and Natsumi followed her gaze down to the end of the staff, gasping slightly. The orb at the end of the end of the staff was glowing brightly. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the glow went out. Riku was the first to speak.

"What… was that?"

Maleficent's fingers tapped against the orb on her staff, expression no longer angry, but instead thoughtful. Natsumi looked up and once more met the woman's eyes, unable to hide her confusion. She almost preferred Maleficent's anger, because at least that she had understood, even if she hadn't liked it. This expression unnerved her in a way she couldn't pinpoint and she fought the urge to take a step closer to Riku.

"A peculiarity." Before Natsumi could ask what exactly Maleficent meant by that, a caw ripped through the air as her raven flew over their heads and took its perch on Maleficent's shoulder. Suddenly, her voice was caught in her throat. "Very well. You may continue using that weapon. It will do you well to learn how to wield it."

It was only when Riku nudged her arm that she unfroze, clutching the staff tightly to her chest. Inexplicably, she felt a powerful sense of relief that it wouldn't be taken from her.

"I will," she said softly.

"Riku. Are you prepared to depart?"

Riku stepped forward, drawing Natsumi's attention from the staff and the fact that, though the raven was watching her closely, Maleficent seemed to have forgotten she was there altogether. She frowned, forcing herself to loosen her grip on the staff.

"Yeah, but Natsumi's coming with me," he said, reaching out to lace his fingers through Natsumi's.

Maleficent's gaze stayed trained on his face, betraying nothing.

"I fear that would be most unwise. It is apparent she is not versed in combat, and the Heartless grow more plentiful by the day. It is not safe."

Natsumi opened her mouth, ready to tell her that she could take care of herself just fine, that she didn't _need_ magic to defend herself, but before she could get the words out Riku was speaking.

"She'll be fine. She sparred with me on the islands, I know what she can do." Riku squeezed her hand tightly, mouth set in a firm line. "I'm not going without her."

"You are aware what this mission entails, and you still wish her to accompany you?"

Natsumi turned to Riku, brow furrowed at the use of the word 'mission'. Riku didn't acknowledge her confusion, instead facing Maleficent unflinchingly.

"I do."

The woman surveyed them silently. Natsumi's gaze bounced between her and Riku, trying to ignore the way the raven's unblinking stare set her teeth on edge.

"As you wish."

With a wave of her arm, a swirling portal of darkness appeared, and Natsumi instinctively took a step back. It had been weeks since the storm on the islands, but she remembered clearly the portal that had opened up underneath her feet, and how she and Riku had been separated at that moment. Her suspicious gaze found Maleficent, but the woman had gone back to seemingly ignoring her existence.

"Go now, and I will come to collect you once you complete your mission."

"How—?"

A tug on her hand drew her attention back to Riku as he stepped forward towards the portal.

"C'mon, Natsu. Let's go."

The blonde cast one last look at Maleficent, who, instead of watching the two teens leave, had her head bent conspiratorially towards her raven. The sight gave Natsumi pause, and she had the brief thought that, like this, the imposing woman actually looked beautiful before following Riku into the darkness. As they passed through the portal, she felt at once hot and cold, her skin prickling at the sensation. She shuddered a bit, trying to rid herself of the feeling and noticing that Riku was clearly unphased.

"How is she gonna know when we're done with our mission? And what is it anyways?"

"I don't know," Riku shrugged. "She just kinda knows."

Natsumi's face scrunched in distaste as she fought the urge to look over her shoulder.

"That's creepy. Does that mean she's watching us?"

Riku grimaced at the thought.

"Maybe."

The darkness around them was a looming presence. It seemed to swallow up their voices and muffle the sound of their footsteps. Natsumi looked down, finding that the darkness wasn't as complete as it had seemed at first glance, traces of deep blue and violet running through it.

"Hey, Riku?"

"Hm?"

"Remember how you said something felt… weird about Maleficent?"

He frowned, grip on her hand tightening.

"Yeah."

"I… get the same feeling around her bird," she said slowly.

Aqua eyes met hers, brow rising slightly. Natsumi felt her cheeks warm, but continued speaking.

"I can't really explain it, but I only see it with Maleficent, and when it is around, it's always… staring at me. Like it's judging me or something. It seems…" She paused, searching for the right word, when it came, unbidden, to her lips. " _Human_."

Riku's eyebrow shot up behind his bangs as he echoed, "Human?"

Her cheeks flushed deeper at his response.

"I don't know how else to say it. That bird stares at me and it's like… it knows something I don't."

"Like what?" Riku asked, pulling her to a stop.

"I don't know," Natsumi stressed.

She wanted to reach up and play with her hair, or rub her collarbone, but Riku had a firm grip on her hand, and her other held the staff.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Riku said, but the expression on his face said that he wasn't so sure.

Natsumi looked down at her feet, and then back up at him. She shook her head.

"It doesn't _feel_ like nothing."

He paused for a long moment, taking in the darkness around them. His thumb rubbed absent-minded circles over her hand, and it was a small gesture, but she felt herself relaxing all the same.

"Even if it is something, I made a promise." His eyes met hers again, and they were full of determination. "I'm not gonna break it."

Natsumi's breath caught in her throat, a smile finding its way to her lips as she could only manage to nod. Riku was with her now, and soon Sora and Kairi would be too, and they'd finally be able to travel the worlds like they'd been dreaming of all their lives. Stepping forward, she closed the distance between them to press her lips against his. His hand squeezed hers, and when they separated, both of them were smiling.

"You know what you should think about instead?"

"What?"

"How you're about to see your first new world." A thrum of excitement ran through her and she couldn't help the way her eyes snapped towards the end of the tunnel, where another swirling portal of darkness waited. "Are you ready?"

"Uh, duh!"

Riku snickered at her response, letting her tug him forward and towards the end of the tunnel. Anticipation built up inside of her, her stomach full of butterflies as she got closer and closer to stepping foot on a new world. Riku kept up with her easily and she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes.

"So where exactly are we going? What kind of world is it?"

"You'll see," Riku replied with an all too familiar smirk.

Natsumi rolled her eyes, but the smile didn't fade from her face. Her mind was racing with thoughts of what kind of world they were going to. She wondered what it would be like, what the people would be like. How different would it be from Destiny Islands? After what seemed like forever, they reached the portal, and she didn't hesitate this time to step through it, feeling that same prickling hot and cold sensation as before.

As they emerged from the portal, a bright light blinded her, causing her to reflexively close her eyes and shield them with her hand. Even before her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, she could hear the sounds of a bustling area, and the smell was somehow familiar to her. The chatter around her was a dull constant, some words and phrases standing out, though most of it just blended together, indecipherable. Riku's hand was still in hers and she squeezed it as she blinked roughly, trying to let her sensitive eyes get used to the world around her. When she could finally see again, her eyes widened before she was forced to narrow them again.

The world that stretched in front of them was full of people in a bustling plaza, customers in various states of dress speaking with numerous vendors offering everything from fruit to richly colored cloths to jewelry. She stared greedily at the plaza, watching the way the jeweler held up a necklace, trying to entice a woman walking by before her eyes moved on to the fruit vendor, haggling with a different woman over the cost of what looked like a watermelon. And everywhere, everywhere there was sand, making her realize why this world had smelled familiar, but not exactly the same as Destiny Islands.

The sun beat down on them, but she didn't mind the heat as she took a step forward. She couldn't keep her eyes still, trying to take in everything at once before looking over her shoulder at Riku. Before her lips parted to form her question, he was already answering it, smirk on his face and fondness in his eyes.

"Welcome to Agrabah."

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm baaaaaaaaack! I'm so so so sorry for the long wait for this chapter, but, well, you know how life is. To be honest, I had a bit of a block with this chapter that took me some time to break through, and I've been working on other projects as well. So I'd like to send out a huge thank you to those of you who are still sticking with me, and as always, if you have time, please leave a review! Knowing you guys are enjoying the story means the world to me.


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11_

Hearing the name of the world Riku had taken her to was all the permission she needed to drag him by the hand out of their hiding place — the roof of an apparently abandoned home covered in sand and sparsely decorated with worn rugs and tapestries. She rushed down the stairs as quickly as their decrepit state would allow her, hardly sparing a second glance at their surroundings.

They burst out into the desert heat where they had to pause once more to let their eyes adjust. Natsumi blinked forcibly, eager to continue on their journey and to see the sights for herself.

"Have you been here before?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at him.

He shook his head.

"No, but Maleficent told me about it before we came."

The blonde turned back the way they were going. Maleficent again… She stopped suddenly, and Riku had just enough time to catch himself before he ran directly into her. Her fist clenched around the staff as she looked up at him. Riku's eyes widened slightly as she stared at him unflinchingly.

"You never told me what your mission was."

Riku stood in silence for a moment longer before he let out a breathless chuckle and shook his head.

"We finally get to a new world together, and that's what you want to do? Talk about a stupid mission?"

"I wouldn't keep bringing it up if you would just answer my question," she pointed out.

Running his hand through his hair, he looked off towards the marketplace and sighed. Natsumi frowned, watching him carefully. She was starting to get the sinking sensation that whatever Maleficent asked Riku to do, it wasn't good. She'd never known Riku to keep things from her, but it was clear he didn't want to tell her about the mission. When he didn't answer, she continued.

"Whatever it is, Riku, I can help you."

His expression hardened and he immediately shook his head. Natsumi's eyes widened at his blatant denial, a spark of anger coursing through her.

"I can take care of it, Natsu. Just… drop it, okay?"

"Why?" she pressed, instead.

Sometime during the conversation, their hands had released each other, and Natsumi tried not to let him see how much the realization stung. They didn't exactly tell each other everything, but neither of them had ever refused to answer a direct question. It made it impossible to ignore the fact that Riku was purposely keeping something from her.

"It's bad, isn't it? Whatever she wants you to do."

He looked as though he might deny it, or tell her to drop it again, until his resolve crumpled under her stare. Unable to say anything, he just nodded. Natsumi felt her heart, already anxious from the confrontation, begin pounding. Had her mouth only just gone dry, or had it been ever since they stepped into the desert heat? She reached out for his hand again, giving it perhaps a too firm squeeze, but it got his attention the way she'd meant it to.

"Tell me," she said softly.

Riku stared into her eyes, more unsure than she'd ever seen him as he searched for something. Whatever it was, she must have given it to him. The silver-haired boy nodded, opened his mouth, and told her everything. He told her about how he'd woken up in Hollow Bastion, alone until Maleficent found him outside the castle. He told her about how he'd told Maleficent he was looking for their friends, and that Maleficent had offered him the same deal she'd offered Natsumi. Do her "errands", and she'd help him find them. But unlike Natsumi, Maleficent had come to Riku to make good on their deal, and given him different tasks ever since. Different tasks that all had the same goal. Take girls from their homes, and bring them to her.

The whole time he spoke, Natsumi listened attentively, right up until he trailed off, having reached the end of his story. She stood there in stunned silence before swallowing thickly. Riku was looking at her expectantly, and she knew she had to say something.

"When Maleficent asked for my help, I thought she meant like… cleaning or something. Not kidnapping people."

For a moment, he said nothing, then a hesitant smile spread across his face before he chuckled breathlessly.

"That's not exactly the response I was expecting."

"Well what were you expecting?" she asked, slightly incredulously.

Riku shrugged, fingers rubbing absently over her hand in a way that soothed and worried her at the same time.

"I don't know," he said, glancing away and then back at her. "For you to be mad? Disappointed?"

Natsumi let out a long breath, finding that her own gaze was wandering. The alley that they were in was deserted, long forgotten crates and barrels pressed against the walls and surrounded by mounds of sand. On either side of them the alley stretched on, one ending at a wall and the other branching off in two more directions. Directly ahead of them was the path to the bazaar, but none of the bustling residents of this world had noticed them yet. The vendors were still shouting at people as they passed by, but nobody was looking down what was most likely a usually empty alley.

Uneasiness rested heavily in her stomach. With Riku's appearance, she'd begun to suspect that Maleficent wasn't everything she'd been telling them she was, but she'd never expected it to be something so sinister.

"What does she want with them?"

Riku's frown was full of shame as he avoided looking her in the eye. He shook his head.

"I don't know," he repeated. "She never told me that, and… I don't see them after she takes them."

She wanted to ask how many girls he'd brought to Maleficent, but at the same time, she didn't want to know. In the end, her mouth betrayed her by not letting her say anything. It was a strange feeling, to be speechless in this way and it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"What do we have to do?" she forced herself to say instead.

Riku looked up at her, aqua eyes wide with surprise.

"We?"

"Well, yeah. Did you think I'd let you do this alone?" The thin line that resulted from his lips being firmly pressed together told her that whatever he'd expected, it hadn't been for her to help him. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Dummy. Of course I'm not letting you do it alone." She hesitated. "I get that we don't really have much of a choice. It's not like we can just leave, we'd just… be stuck here. So… let's just get it over with."

She squeezed his hand again, trying to give him a reassuring smile. In response, he smiled weakly back and nodded.

"Yeah, alright. Get it over with," he said with a scoff, but he continued on. "Maleficent said once we get here, we should find Jafar. He's supposed to lead us to the girl, and then we take her back to Maleficent. Easy."

He tried to sound flippant as he said it, but Natsumi knew he was anything but. The thought of kidnapping somebody sent the uneasiness in her stomach roiling and she tried to push it down. If it was a choice between Sora and Kairi, and this complete stranger, well, she knew who she'd pick.

"Easy. So, where do we find this Jafar?"

"He's the royal vizier at the palace and," Riku paused and smirked at her, "the way to the palace is through there."

He pointed with a gloved hand down the alleyway to the bazaar, and Natsumi's eyes widened.

"Well," she said slowly, "it can't hurt to take a look around, right? Just in case he came looking for us," she added hastily.

Riku's lingering smirk made it apparent that he saw right through her, though he didn't call her out on it.

"Right, just in case he came looking for us," he teased.

She gave him a small glare, but it was all she could muster with the excitement of finally seeing the bazaar up close chasing away any negative feelings. Before Riku could say anything more, she was dragging him by the hand again, down the alley and bursting out into the plaza, to the agitation of the people who happened to be in her way. She didn't even spare them a passing glance, instead turning her head back and forth to take in the busy street. Now that she had finally made her way down here, she wasn't sure where to go first.

"Here," Riku said. "Follow me."

"I thought you said you haven't been here before."

"I haven't. But I saw something I think you'll like. C'mon."

He smiled at her, eyes soft with an emotion that made her heart swell and lurch into her throat. Though he had turned around to lead her through the crowd and couldn't see it, she smiled softly at his back. They might not have known where Sora and Kairi were, but with Riku by her side, she couldn't help but feel as though everything would be okay. They weaved through people and vendors alike, Natsumi holding her staff behind her back in an attempt not to hit anybody with it. She was only partially successful.

The knowledge that they were in another world grew inside of her with each step, and eventually, she couldn't help but laugh, giddy with the surety of it. Riku glanced back at her questioningly, but she didn't answer, instead leaning forward clumsily to press a kiss to his cheek. Caught off guard, he blushed and turned away from her again, but not before she could see the pleased smile crossing his face. After a few more moments of this, they stopped in front of a stand covered in yards of colorful fabric and Riku released her hand again to begin sifting through them.

"What are you looking for?" She peered curiously over his shoulder, but it seemed he was so focused on what he was looking for that he didn't answer her. "Riku?"

"Allow me to assist." Natsumi looked up at the shopkeeper as he spoke, a large smile lighting up his face. "We have many fine items for sale, miss. Perhaps you'd like this?" He held up a swath of fabric, but before she could respond, he had set it down and was moving on again. "Or this." The next one he held up was brightly green. "To match your lovely eyes."

"I'm actually—"

He continued on, showing her fabric after fabric of what she finally realized were some type of scarf, though she couldn't fathom what anybody would want with one in the desert heat.

"Actually, we'll take this one," Riku interrupted, finally returning to her side and holding out a deeply blue scarf, embroidered with silver in a way that made it look like a starry sky.

The man beamed at them.

"An excellent choice," he said, and told them the price.

Riku rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a handful of munny, offering it to the man.

"I don't have as much as you asked for, but will you accept this?"

Though the man didn't stop smiling, his expression was suddenly chilly. Natsumi knew what his answer was going to be before he spoke.

"I run a business here, young man, not a charity."

He repeated the original cost. Riku grimaced and looked at Natsumi from the corner of his eye.

"Riku, it's—"

"Please," Riku said firmly, thrusting his hand towards the man.

"You kids better move along—"

"Oh, hush!" A woman's voice interrupted and abruptly took the munny from Riku's hand. "He wants to buy his sweetheart something nice, you stingy old man." The woman, who Natsumi could only assume was his wife, then turned her sharp gaze on the two of them and immediately softened. "You two enjoy, alright?"

"Hey, what do you—"

"Enough," the woman huffed, turning back to him and poking him in the chest. "Let these two kids have their day. I won't hear another word. Run along now."

This last bit was directed at Riku and Natsumi and the two of them nodded, expressed their thanks, and walked away from the booth.

"You didn't have to do that," Natsumi said, once they'd found a spot that was a bit out of the way from the rest of the bazaar.

"I wanted to," Riku shrugged.

"Was that all your munny?"

"Nah." He turned towards her and draped the scarf over her shoulders. "I have more at the castle."

"Where'd you get it?" she asked, running her fingers over the soft material.

"Heartless drop all sorts of weird things."

A sudden giggle drew their attention to a girl standing just a few feet away from them. They exchanged a glance that made it clear neither of them had noticed her until just that moment. She was dressed head to toe in unflattering brown, the fabric wrapped around her neck and draped over her head.

"That's not how you wear it," she explained when she noticed their stares.

"It's not?"

She shook her head, dark eyes crinkling at the corners in her mirth.

"Here." The girl stepped towards them, gesturing with her hands towards the scarf. "Allow me."

Natsumi's eyes darted to Riku. Though his expression was guarded, he didn't make any signal that she shouldn't allow this girl to help, and so she nodded slowly.

"Okay."

The girl smiled at them in a way that made it impossible for Natsumi not to smile back as she reached up and took the scarf in her hands. Deftly, she pulled it up and over Natsumi's hair, the few extra inches she had on the blonde allowing her to do so with ease.

"It's called a Shayla," she said as she worked. "And you wear it like this." She tucked in the last bit of fabric and stepped back to admire her handiwork. "There. Much better."

Natsumi reached up and felt the fabric. It wasn't wrapped too tightly around her head, but she felt as though it was secure enough that it wouldn't come off.

"Thank you." She turned to Riku and gave a little twirl before grinning widely. "How do I look?"

Riku's cheeks flushed, eyes darting to the stranger as he cleared his throat.

"Beautiful."

He said it quietly, just for her, but his tone made it evident that he thought it was silly she'd even asked, as there was clearly no other answer. Natsumi's grin stretched wider and she turned back to the girl.

"Thank you, again. I'm Natsumi, and this is Riku."

"It's very nice to meet you. I'm Jasmine. What brings you two to Agrabah?"

Though she asked the question innocently enough, the reminder that they weren't just two tourists in a new land made Natsumi's entire body go tense. Jasmine looked at them curiously, evidently noticing their sudden unease. Riku recovered first.

"What makes you think we aren't from here?"

"You're dressed quite strangely and," her eyes flicked between them, "you didn't know how to wear a Shayla. So I just assumed… Am I mistaken?"

"Well, no," Natsumi said, unable to come up with a lie.

"But we should be going."

Riku's hand was suddenly in hers, and Natsumi squeezed it tightly. She tried to tell herself there was no possible way this girl could know what they had been sent there for, but the thought still itched at the back of her mind like a mosquito bite. He squeezed her hand back and she felt slight relief at his presence next to her. Jasmine was still looking between them, expression slowly shifting from confused to wary.

"Oh, of course. Enjoy your visit."

"Yeah," was all Natsumi could manage, and Riku didn't say anything, tugging lightly on Natsumi's hand as they walked hurriedly away.

They walked with their heads down for what felt like an unbearably long time, winding through more back alleys and avoiding the plaza and its still bustling people. Being in a crowd suddenly felt like it would be dangerously exposed. Any time they got close to it or would have to go through it, they backtracked and took a different path, the entire time keeping the palace in their view. Natsumi glanced over her shoulder, knowing it was silly to think the girl was following them, but she couldn't shake it.

"You don't think… she could know, do you?"

Riku instantly shook his head.

"No. There's no way, how could she?"

"Right," she breathed. "How could she?"

He squeezed her hand again. The whole situation filled her with regret. That girl had seemed really nice, but the way she'd watched them walk away, with wariness in her eyes, like maybe she shouldn't trust them… It stung more than she thought it should for somebody she would never see again.

"We're almost there."

Natsumi looked up, finding that Riku was right and the palace was now almost entirely obscured by the walls and buildings around them. Only the tops of the domed roofs were visible from their vantage point, even when she craned her neck all the way back.

"So, once we get there… then what?"

"Maleficent said there's a way in through the back, and that's where Jafar will be. We have to go this way."

They'd arrived at the outermost wall of the palace, a large white structure that wasn't actually part of the palace, but surrounded it to prevent them from getting in easily. Walking alongside it briskly, they lapsed back into silence, Natsumi contemplating exactly what she'd signed up for in the name of helping Riku. She'd help him no matter what, but she couldn't help but wonder what Maleficent had in store for them.

Riku stopped abruptly and Natsumi's head snapped up, immediately finding what had caused him to stop. A swirling portal of darkness had appeared in front of them, and she instinctively knew that they'd arrived at the right place and soon they would be meeting the royal vizier, Jafar. Seconds later a tall, impossibly thin man with a pointed beard stepped out of the swirling shadows. In his hand he held a golden snake-shaped staff, and on his shoulder was a bright red parrot.

 _Another bird…_

"Jafar," Riku said with a steady voice. "Maleficent sent us."

"I'm aware," he said. "Though I shall never understand why she insisted on sending me a couple of brats."

Natsumi scoffed.

"Yeah, well, we're not too happy with it either."

Jafar's eyes snapped towards her.

"We just want to get this over with," Riku said.

"You and us both, kid!"

Natsumi's eyes widened and darted to the bird, mouth gaping open.

"You can talk?"

The parrot rolled his eyes at her.

"Of course I can. Jafar, where did she get these schmucks?"

The man's thin fingers darted up and snapped over the bird's beak, ignoring when he started to struggle.

"Enough, Iago. I trust Maleficent has told you why you're here."

"She did," Riku affirmed.

"Then let us make haste. The search for Princess Jasmine is already underway."

At his words, despite the desert heat, Natsumi's blood ran cold.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hi guys! Wow, another long gap between updates. The excuses are the same as they always are, and I'm so, so sorry! I love writing this story to pieces, I just haven't had as much time as I would like for it lately. However, I'm very pleased with how this chapter came out and I hope you are too. As always, if you have time, please leave a review!


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12_

They had been walking in silence for long enough that, even through her inner turmoil, Natsumi had finally noticed it. Neither she nor Riku had spoken since their meeting with Jafar, and her thoughts had begun to spiral. It was easy to say that she'd help Riku kidnap somebody when it was an abstract notion, neat and tidy boxes of "them" or "Sora and Kairi". It was easy to consider kidnapping when it didn't actually involve a person that had a face or a name, but now she had both.

" _It's called a Shayla."_

A giggle. A warm smile. Kindness for a complete stranger.

Princess Jasmine.

Natsumi's fingernails dug into her collarbone underneath the carefully placed Shayla. The girl's hands had been so gentle, her actions so unconditionally kind. Why did Maleficent want her? What would the woman do to such kindness? She hadn't been exactly kind to them, but she'd taken them in without question when she found them wandering around, lost and alone. Surely that counted for something. Right?

Natsumi glanced up from the ground to Riku. How had he managed to act so normal under the weight of such a task? Ever since they'd reunited, she'd thought his unease had been because they still didn't know where Sora and Kairi were. It seemed painfully obvious now that it was because Maleficent had been making him run her filthy errands. And now Natsumi was part of it too.

She kept racking her brain, trying to think of a way for them to get out of this, but she was only thinking herself in circles. They could run, but where would they go? They could defy Maleficent, but what would she do in retaliation? Her imagination supplied plenty of things Maleficent could do to keep them cooperative, helped along by every fairytale or story she'd ever heard. And perhaps most importantly: How would they find Sora and Kairi without her?

None of these worries made it past her lips. Riku was smart. She was sure all of these worries and more had occurred to him as well. He'd had much more time to think about it than she had. Surely if there was a way out, he would have already discovered it.

They were supposed to be looking for the princess, having been directed by Jafar to search the area surrounding the palace where it had been reported she'd last been seen. Natsumi was grateful they'd been spared from having to reveal that they'd met her and knew that she actually was somewhere outside the palace, though she wasn't sure why. It wasn't as though that knowledge changed anything about their situation. No, it only changed how Natsumi felt about it — sick to her stomach, but resigned.

"What are Heartless?"

Her question wasn't abnormally loud, but Riku still looked up with a start, almost like he'd forgotten she was there.

"Huh?"

"Heartless," she repeated. "You said earlier that they dropped weird things. What are they?"

Riku's expression immediately darkened. He frowned and looked away from her.

"You really don't know? They're the things that destroyed our island, you know, like the one you protected." She bristled at his tone, ready to argue that Kumo was different, Kumo was her friend, it probably hadn't even been on the island that night, but what he said next stopped her short. "They steal people's hearts, Natsu."

"They… they what?"

Stealing people's hearts sounded like another fairytale thing, something that didn't belong in this world. Then she remembered that they were in an entirely different world, and she had no way to be certain of what rules applied anymore. She herself was capable of wielding magic, even if she wasn't very good at it yet, something that she had dreamt about but hadn't thought was possible. Traveling to different worlds was one thing. It was tangible in the way that she had faith her feet would tread the solid ground of one. Magic seemed like a wholly different thing, less possible than discovering somewhere completely new.

Riku's voice softened, though the frown didn't leave his face.

"Steal people's hearts. They take them, and it makes more Heartless, and they just keep going and going." He glanced away from her, fists clenched at his sides as his expression hardened. "That's why I attacked the one in the library. It's not your friend, it's a monster."

"Kumo's not like that," she immediately protested.

"How do you know?" Riku shot back, echoing his question from a few days ago.

"Because why wouldn't he try to attack me if he really was like that?"

"I don't know." He huffed in irritation and crossed his arms.

"Then you can't just—"

"Shh," Riku said suddenly.

He held a finger to his lips, raising his other arm in front of her to halt her progress. Natsumi stumbled slightly, bumping into him as she quickly looked up and then back at the space in front of them. It was the same spot where they had met Princess Jasmine earlier that day, but it was completely empty, save for the barrels and crates that were placed, seemingly randomly, along the walls. She looked over towards where the girl had appeared before, and now that she thought about it, the girl had seemed to come from nowhere.

Natsumi had reflexively lifted her staff to guard against the attack she assumed was coming, but now she relaxed. It was clear that she and Riku were the only ones there, unless Princess Jasmine was hiding somewhere. Glancing over at Riku, she could tell he'd had the same thought. He nodded at her and pointed towards the crates to his right. She nodded back quickly and took a deep breath, turning towards the opposite wall.

If Princess Jasmine had in fact been hiding when they'd met her, that meant she had some idea of what Jafar was up to. For a brief moment, Natsumi wished she did as well, before pushing that thought away. The anxiousness pooling in her gut wasn't getting any better, and she knew that it wouldn't, especially if she kept thinking about what would happen to the princess after they found her. If they found her. Part of her hoped they didn't. What could Maleficent or Jafar do if she and Riku didn't defy them, but simply… failed?

With that thought in mind, she only searched half-heartedly for the girl, one hand gripping her staff and the other curling a finger around her Shayla. She couldn't help that, with each empty barrel and solitary crate and no sign of the princess, her shoulders sagged with relief. It seemed that Princess Jasmine was long gone. Natsumi sighed, lifting her eyes up towards the sky.

"Any luck?" Riku asked, drawing her gaze back down.

"No," she answered, shaking her head, and ignoring when she saw some of the tension leaving his body.

It was comforting to know that he was just as wound up about the situation as she was, regardless of how collected he seemed. He looked around them, his expression hardening.

"We have to keep looking."

"What if we don't find her?"

"We will. We just have to look somewhere else."

He began to turn away.

"No, Riku. I mean… what if we don't find her?" she repeated, stressing the sentence carefully this time.

Riku froze, but didn't turn back to face her.

"Then Maleficent doesn't help us find Sora and Kairi. Is that what you want?"

The thought of never finding Sora and Kairi made her heart clench in her chest, and she was reminded forcibly of what they had to choose.

"No, it's not." She took a deep breath and looked down at the ground. Her two best friends in the entire world, who she'd known for as long as she could remember, or one kind girl she'd met in a desert on a world she only knew the name of? The choice was clear. She clenched her fists. "Alright. We have to find her. But where do we look next?"

She could imagine Riku's look of hesitation, and after a moment he turned to look at her.

"I don't know, " he admitted. "We can't exactly wander the desert."

"No," Natsumi agreed.

She clenched her staff tightly in her hands and sat down on one of the crates.

"We'll just have to go back to Jafar and tell him she's not here."

Natsumi grimaced at that. The last thing she wanted to do was go back to Jafar empty handed and asking what to do next. She rubbed at her collarbone thoughtfully.

"If I was a princess in hiding, where would I go?" she mused idly.

Riku let out a sharp laugh and she looked back down at him, mouth curling up in a semblance of a smile.

"I don't know, Princess Natsumi. Where would you go?" he asked, bowing at her, a mockery of when they played princesses and pirates as kids.

Despite the situation, Natsumi laughed too, hopping down off the crate and curtseying. She spread her arms out as though she wore a long skirt and looked up at him from under her eyelashes.

"Probably somewhere quiet, where there aren't a lot of people."

"Like here?" He tilted his head and smirked at her.

"No way. Too easy to find."

"So where then?"

"Hmmm," she said, looking around them. "I—" Before she could finish speaking, she felt a light scratching on her legs. She looked down sharply and a burst of light appeared before her as Riku summoned his sword. "Wait!" She threw up her hands to ward off his attack, crouching down quickly. "Kumo? What are you doing here?"

The little Heartless only blinked at her slowly.

"How do you know that one's Kumo?" Riku asked warily, sword still aloft.

Natsumi tilted her head, staring into his bright yellow eyes. The creature was a spot of darkness in the bright light of the desert, motionless in front of her, almost as if he were waiting for something.

"I don't know," she finally answered. "I just… do."

Riku scoffed and then hesitated quickly before dispelling his sword again. He looked away, scratching his cheek awkwardly.

"Well, if you say so," he mumbled.

"I do."

She nodded decisively, then smiled as she reached out to pet Kumo's head. The Heartless bounced up so his head hit her hand and just as quickly turned in place before scurrying away from them. He raced as far as the edge of the square and then looked back at them, hopping urgently.

"What is he doing?"

"He wants us to follow him," Natsumi said, already halfway across the square. Walking backwards and holding out her staff, she continued, "He did the same thing the day he led me to this."

When he didn't immediately follow her, Natsumi gave him a meaningful look. Without pausing, she turned away from him in order to follow Kumo, who looked at her with as much anxiety as his expressionless face could hold. She heard Riku huff out a breath, and then the dull thud of his footsteps as he ran to catch up with them.

The little Heartless led them through back alleys, staying in the shadows of the buildings and avoiding anywhere there was too much light or too many people. Soon enough they lost sight of the palace of Agrabah completely. Natsumi felt as though they'd fallen into a maze, the white of the walls and the golden sand beneath their feet all appearing the same, but Kumo's pace never slowed.

"Where's he taking us?" Riku asked.

Truthfully, Natsumi didn't know, but all she said was, "Hopefully to Princess Jasmine."

They approached the wall that surrounded Agrabah and Kumo paused only for a brief second, looking up and down the wall before scurrying off to their left and disappearing.

"Well that was helpful."

Natsumi rolled her eyes at Riku's sarcasm.

"Hang on."

She followed Kumo's tiny footprints in the sand and, upon closer inspection, found that the section of the wall he'd disappeared near was damaged. Crouching down, she peered into the hole, her eyes widening.

"Riku, it goes all the way through."

"Yeah, I had a feeling." Natsumi looked up as he stumbled towards her, giggling when she noticed Kumo was the reason for it, pushing on the back of Riku's legs and urging him towards the hole. "I'm starting to see why you like him so much."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that you two have a lot in common," he teased, slipping quickly through the hole in the wall before she could retaliate.

"Hey! Riku!"

Natsumi followed him through, the sound of his laughter echoing slightly against the walls around her. On the other side, the sun shone brightly against the sand, and Natsumi once more found herself wincing against the brightness. Before she could fully recover, Riku grabbed her hand.

"C'mon. That Heartless of yours isn't stopping."

As her eyes adjusted to the brightness on this side of the wall, Natsumi saw that Riku was right. Kumo hadn't stopped, and was now an inky black spot against the barren landscape. Years of running on the beaches of Destiny Islands had gotten her body used to the strain of walking on loose granules of sand that gave way with each step. Even so, she felt a burn starting in her legs the longer they went without stopping.

"He better not be leading us into the desert to die," Riku grumbled.

"He isn't," Natsumi said indignantly, but she too was starting to wonder exactly how much longer the shadow would lead them on for.

The desert showed no signs of stopping any time soon, and neither did Kumo. Not until they reached the top of a particularly large sand dune and a large basin opened up in front of them. Riku and Natsumi stopped at the top, reflexively following the lead of the little Heartless, and their eyes widened. At the bottom of the basin was a large tiger's head, made of sand, and much, much bigger than any tiger should have been. Its mouth gaped open to allow entrance to none other than Jafar.

"Well, I guess we can tell Jafar we didn't find Princess Jasmine." Riku frowned.

"Yeah, guess so…"

As if in agreement, Kumo hopped forward, alternately stumbling and rolling his way down the sand. With nothing else to do, Riku and Natsumi followed him ever further, holding their footing much better than Kumo. They approached the bottom of the dune and Riku called out after Jafar, but the man didn't seem to hear them. Without speaking, they quickened their pace to catch up, but before they could cross the threshold of the cave, the tiger gave a great roar and its mouth snapped shut.

The force of it sent all three of them falling backwards. Natsumi lost her grip on her staff and Riku's hand, and she thought she saw Kumo careening past her, though he'd been closer to the tiger than any of them. Sand flew into her eyes and open mouth, making her sputter and rub her face to try to clear it. When she could finally see again, her heart began pounding, a lump forming in her throat. She and Riku were separated, surrounded by dozens of strange looking creatures. Riku was already back on his feet, and as she watched, he summoned his sword.

"Riku!"

His gaze snapped over to her.

"Get up! These are Heartless, you have to fight!"

Natsumi's eyes widened. These were Heartless? They looked nothing like Kumo or the other shadows that had taken over their island that night. These looked like things of nightmares, things with glowing yellow eyes peering out of their armored heads and clawed hands and feet. Several of them were floating in midair, their red, blue, and yellow bodies swaying back and forth. Then, all at once, they sprang forward.

She felt her body tense up, mind going blank as the first Heartless sprang at her. She cried out without meaning to, moving too late to completely avoid the small armored Heartless. Its claws raked across her bare arm, and then, before she could whirl around to face it again, something jumped on her back. She reached back, trying to yank the creature off of her, then fell backwards onto it as its weight knocked her off balance.

"Natsumi! Fight!"

She couldn't see Riku, but his words reached her all the same, breaking through her panic stricken mind to give her clarity. Throwing herself backward again, she knocked the Heartless loose. Able to stand up straight again, she looked around, searching for her staff. It was the only chance she had.

Several feet away, she found Kumo, only recognizable from the horde by the way he huddled down on the ground. He looked around frantically, but didn't move. Natsumi raced towards him and finally saw why he wasn't moving. The little Heartless was guarding her staff, though none of the the other Heartless seemed interested in it. Only in Natsumi.

"Kumo!"

Kumo looked up at her, hopping to the side as Natsumi raced towards him. Just before her fingers could wrap around the staff, something barreled into her. She fell to the ground, just barely having the presence of mind to protect her face from the barrage of sand kicked up from the fighting. Pulling her arms down, she saw the flying armored Heartless that had attacked her rearing back for another attack. She tried to stand, but only slipped in the sand. She scrambled to her knees, pulling herself forward and wincing in anticipation of an attack that never came.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Kumo had thrown himself at the flying Heartless, and now scrabbled at its wings with his clawed hands. She froze, watching the two Heartless fight before shaking her head forcefully. She had to get to her staff.

Her fingers finally closed around it, and she turned back to the battle. There were enemies all around her and she could hear the sounds of Riku fighting them. Sweat dripped down her face and into her eyes. She wanted to reach up and wipe it away, but fear kept her hands in a vice grip on her staff. She wasn't sure what to do. Charge into battle? Or stand still and defend herself?

The decision was made for her as the colorful flying Heartless came swarming at her. Above their heads, magic started to form and Natsumi did the only thing she could think of. She lifted her staff and swung at them, wielding it less like the bo staff she was used to on the islands, and more like a baseball bat. It was crude, but effective. She hit one of the Heartless, and out of pure luck sent it careening towards another Heartless. When the two collided, they exploded in a burst of black smoke. Despite herself, Natsumi felt herself grinning, relief surging through her. She wasn't the most amazing fighter, but she could do this. She could do this.

Another armored Heartless raced towards her and she repositioned her staff, holding it properly now as her confidence grew. She lashed out, sending the Heartless sprawling into the sand. Whirling back towards the rest, she fought them off as they came at her, wincing as some of their claws made it past her defenses. The enemies kept coming, showing no signs of stopping or tiring, but Natsumi felt her muscles, already tired from the trek to the desert, start shaking underneath her weight.

When she lifted up her staff to defend herself, an armored Heartless pushed her arms to the side easily. The attack sent her falling down onto one knee and before she could regain her footing, the Heartless swooped down, claws slashing deeply into her arm and exposed side. Natsumi cried out, trembling arms unable to support her any longer as she fell to the ground. Though her mind urged her to get up, her limbs wouldn't respond. They felt heavy and unwieldy, useless. Everything sounded too loud and far away at the same time. Her wounds burned dully, pain radiating out from them.

She wanted to get up. She wanted to never move again. She wanted to fight. She wanted to give up. Was this what it was like when the enemies she was fighting actually wanted to hurt her? When they actually wanted to steal her heart? She was exhausted. Terrified tears filled her eyes and she closed them.

Then suddenly the sound stopped.

Blearily, she opened her eyes just in time to see Riku fall to his knees in front of her.

"Natsu!" He reached out, pulling her up and into his lap, wincing at the cry this drew from her lips. "Hang on, hang on," he said, looking around frantically. "Maleficent!"

As if his shout summoned her, the woman appeared, standing over his shoulder and looking down at them.

"I advised against this, did I not?"

"Just shut up and help us!"

"My, my. Such malice to ask for help with. It was not I who put her in harm's way."

Natsumi whimpered, her fingers clutching Riku's shirt tightly. Riku scowled.

"Are you gonna help us or not?" he demanded, never looking away from Natsumi.

"Of course, dear boy. I'm here to help." Maleficent stepped forward, leaning down. "Sleep now, child," she said, almost sweetly, then drew her hand in front of Natsumi's eyes, and she knew no more.

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm baaaaaaaaaaack! Sorry for the wait everybody. As usual, life has been hectic, things have come up, attention has been demanded elsewhere, yadda, yadda, yadda, but! I have not ever forgotten about this story and I'm so excited to continue Natsumi's story. Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13_

"Sleep now, child."

The voice was soft, gentle. A cool hand pressed against her forehead before brushing the hair away from her face. Sumie began humming in a hushed tone, a song that Natsumi didn't know the name of, but still knew by heart. The sound comforted her, washing away a fear she couldn't place. She leaned into her mother's touch.

"My sweet girl," Sumie murmured. "Please don't ever change."

It was such a strange statement, and so forlorn in the way that Sumie said it. Natsumi opened her eyes, intending to ask what she meant, but when her eyes opened, her mother's voice faded away. The bedsheets that she'd thought were her own were the wrong color, and the room around her was too dark and dim. Instead of Sumie, Maleficent stood next to her bed, peering down at her without the slightest hint of concern.

"Awake at last."

Natsumi sat up, wincing as she did so and feeling a sudden tightness around her torso. Looking down and lifting up her shirt, she took in a dark discolored bruise, the background to three angry red scratches. The skin wasn't broken, but puckered like a scar.

"I got hurt," she said slowly, remembering warm blood on her skin. Her brow furrowed. "Really hurt. What happened after that?"

"Why, I brought you here, to safety, and tended your wounds. You gave us quite the scare."

The woman's face was the epitome of distress, but Natsumi couldn't tell when her expression had changed. Her raven landed on the bedspread and hopped closer to Natsumi. She hesitated before answering.

"I did?"

"Indeed, my child. Your… companion was most distressed."

"Riku? Where is he?"

She leaned forward sharply, immediately regretting it as pain lanced through her side. She gasped and clutched at her wounds, but this only made it hurt more and tears sprang to her eyes. The raven's wings fluttered and Natsumi jerked when she felt feathers against her skin, only sending more pain coursing through her. Closing her eyes, she breathed shallowly, waiting for the pain to ebb. When she opened her eyes again, the raven was staring at her intently, and she once more had the strange sensation that it was more than a normal bird.

"The boy is back on Agrabah, finishing his task."

A pang coursed through her, but it had nothing to do with her wounds and everything to do with the fact that Riku wasn't there. If she'd been injured so badly that even Maleficent was worried, then why hadn't he stayed by her side? Natsumi's gaze found the raven again, and she carefully shifted until her back was against the wall and she'd put some distance between herself and the bird.

"When will he be back?" she asked in a small voice.

"When his task is complete, naturally."

"I want to see him."

She met Maleficent's eyes, sympathetic as she stepped closer to the bed. Natsumi tensed as she approached, but found herself involuntarily relaxing when the woman put her hand softly on her head. With the dream of her mother fresh in her mind, a few more tears formed as her eyes shut. The touch was comforting in a way she hadn't expected of Maleficent and she sighed heavily.

"Of course, child." There was a pause. "I must leave you now. Diablo, my pet." Maleficent's hand left her hair and when Natsumi looked up, she saw the bird perched on the woman's slender finger. "Stay with her. See to it that she's looked after."

Natsumi watched the exchange curiously, brow furrowing when the bird appeared to nod at Maleficent's request. It, or he, she assumed now based on his name, hopped back onto the bed before appearing to settle in on her covers. The sense of understanding between Maleficent and Diablo made her think that her half formed suspicions weren't so crazy after all. Without any further acknowledgement, but with a swirl of her robes as she turned away, Maleficent left her room. Almost immediately, Natsumi wished for her to return. She wasn't sure if this sudden urge was a desire for the woman herself, or simply because she didn't want to be alone.

She looked around, noticing that a layer of dust had begun to accumulate while she had been busy avoiding this room. The mirror was smudged, a fine layer of dust on the desk and books, and there in the corner of the room nearest the bed was her staff, the cleanest thing in the room. She thought about getting up and grabbing it, but her body wouldn't move, and then she remembered the pain that she'd felt just by sitting up, and decided to leave it be.

Sighing, she pulled her knees in close to her chest. Part of her knew that she should lie down and rest, but the greater part of her was too upset to do so. Her first journey to a new world, and she'd ended up so wounded that she'd had to come back to Hollow Bastion and be left behind. Thinking back, she tried to remember the events that had transpired before she woke up in her bed, but it was all a blur. She remembered Kumo, and Jafar entering the tiger shaped cave. She remembered Heartless appearing and fighting, falling and then… everything became hazy and unsure. She remembered the sound of Riku's voice, frantic, but the words eluded her.

Diablo watched her through half-lidded eyes from his place on her bed. She'd never seen the bird so relaxed, and not for the first time wondered what he did when he wasn't around Maleficent. She tapped her fingers across her leg, feeling exhausted, but at the same time brimming with energy. She never did well being confined to her bed, and the silence was setting her on edge.

"Do you talk too?" she asked Diablo accusingly. It would explain how he had understood Maleficent's orders, and why she felt as though there was more to this bird than met the eye.

The raven just stared at her, blinking slowly. She hadn't realized how much she had been expecting him to speak like Iago until he squawked, loudly, startling her enough that she jumped, wincing when it sent another jolt of pain through her side. As she stared at him wide-eyed and her racing heart began to slow and the pain ebbed, she scoffed.

"Well, good. Guess you're just a dumb bird after all."

There was a fluttering of wings and she tensed as she felt the weight of him landing next to her and pulling her blanket tighter. Stiffly, she looked down at him and found that she didn't like the tilt of his head, or the way he narrowed his eyes. She tried very hard to tell herself otherwise, but she couldn't explain the expression he wore as anything other than a smirk.

He blinked at her slowly, and then all at once ducked his head to pluck deliberately and aggressively at her bracelet. The feeling of his beak against her skin covered her in goosebumps, even as she swatted at him, shooing him away from her precious shell.

"Hey! Stop that!" Hopping back to avoid her hand, the bird cawed at her again, louder and more piercing than the first. "Back off!"

He had jumped forward, beak aimed at the shell to go in for another hit. She cupped her hand protectively over the shell and pulled it between her chest and her legs, glaring at the bird.

"What's your problem? Pretty sure that's not what Maleficent told you to do." The bird ruffled his feathers, eyes squinted. "Whatever," she said, shifting to lie back down and wincing as she felt the effects of warding off the bird on her bruised side. "Stupid bird."

She rolled over onto her side, almost immediately rolling back onto her back with a gasp. Lying on her side had put a painful tension on the opposite one. The gasp was followed by a sigh as she stared up at the ceiling. She shut her eyes. She hated this room and how it stifled her, hated the way she could tell Diablo was still on her bed.

She hated that Riku wasn't with her.

Clutching her bracelet to her lips, she squeezed her eyes shut tighter. She didn't want to cry anymore.

* * *

When she woke up, the room wasn't any darker or lighter than it had been when she reluctantly slipped into sleep. Diablo still sat on her bed, half asleep himself if his caw of protest when she nudged him with her foot was any indication. For a moment, she just lay there, hoping against hope that the end of her trip to Agrabah had been nothing more than a nightmare. But her side still ached when she breathed, and showed no sign of letting up.

Despite that, she had no desire to spend the rest of her day lying in bed. She sat up, or rather tried to, but was prevented by the blanket pressed snugly against her waist. Yelping, she clutched at her wound, eyes reflexively squeezing shut as if to block out the pain, but not before she caught sight of a head of silver hair.

"Riku."

She again tried to sit up, but didn't fare any better in her second attempt than her first. Instead, she fell flat against the bed, huffing in pain and irritation. In the next moment, Riku's face was in her field of vision, expression laced with concern.

"Natsu, are you okay?"

"Fine," she bit out.

He frowned, clearly disbelieving.

"Do you want to sit up?"

"Yeah."

Riku hesitated, taking in the way her hands were still pressed over her side. He looked her up and down, and then finally reached out to gently pry a hand away from her side and loop his arm carefully under her back. Natsumi used her free hand to cling to his shirt, burying her face against the crook of his neck as he helped her into a sitting position. She took a deep breath and was surprised to find that, even if it was only the faintest bit, he still smelled like Destiny Islands.

When he tried to pull away, she clung tighter to him.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"'m fine. It just hurts, is all."

He didn't say anything to that, letting the silence stretch, but she didn't mind. She was just relieved that he was back from Agrabah, unscathed and once more by her side. And presumably done with the task Maleficent had given him. The thought made her tense, and this time she let Riku pull away from her.

"Did you find her? Did you do what Maleficent asked?"

He looked away from here when he answered, "I did."

"What happened after I got hurt?"

Riku scoffed, his eyes darting down to her side.

"Maleficent came and got us. Then she told me I had to finish the job. When I got there, Jafar already had the princess. All I had to do was bring her back."

"Oh," she said, unsure of how else to respond. "Okay." Something about his curt answer seemed strange, but then again, how much had the two of them been through in the past couple of days? For the moment, she felt too tired to pursue it either way. "So when are we leaving?"

This drew Riku's eyes back to hers, his brow furrowed.

"Leaving?"

"To go to the next world and keep looking for Sora and Kairi."

All at once Riku's expression hardened and she thought that if he hadn't already created a bit of space between them, he would have recoiled at her words.

"You're staying here," he said vehemently.

Her eyes widened and she yanked her hand out of his. At the end of the bed, Diablo's eyes peeked open slowly.

"What? No way, are you serious?"

"Yes, Natsu, I am serious."

Natsumi clenched her fists, mouth open as she struggled for words.

"No. No, that's not fair, you can't do that, Riku!" She could see his resolve start to falter and pressed forward as he had to look away from her again. "Is it because I got hurt? That won't happen again."

Riku's gaze snapped over to her, eyes narrowed.

"You don't know that. We didn't think you'd get hurt this time, either."

"But I'm fine," she said, hating how her voice almost slipped into a whine.

"And what if you weren't?" Riku stressed. "You don't know how to fight, Natsu."

"So teach me!"

His expression was just short of scathing as their eyes met, and Natsumi felt a lump forming in her throat that she tried to swallow.

"Right now?" He looked pointedly at her side.

"Obviously not now, but you can't just ground me to my room."

"I'm not grounding you," he said with a roll of his eyes. "As if anybody could. But Sora and Kairi are out there, and like it or not, you're hurt. You're staying here."

He stood and made to leave, but Natsumi lunged forward to grab his arm, tugging him backwards and gritting her teeth as the pain in her side resurfaced.

"Wait, Riku. Why can't you wait for me?"

"Because." He caught her eye briefly before looking away. "There's just something I need to do, okay?"

More secrets. The lump in her throat seemed to grow larger; she dropped Riku's arm.

"The boy is right."

Natsumi's head jerked up, taking in Maleficent, who stood near the door as though she had been there the entire time. The woman's face betrayed nothing of how much of their argument she had heard, or what she thought of the situation. Once they noticed her, she crossed the room. Diablo cawed loudly and hopped towards the end of the bed, ruffling his feathers until she pet him absently.

"You've been through an ordeal, and are in no position to be going anywhere. Least of all unfamiliar worlds teeming with Heartless."

Natsumi's brow furrowed. The words dredged up part of her memories, something that hadn't really caught her attention at the time, but now seemed odd. Why had the Heartless in Agrabah been so intent on attacking her, when the Heartless on Destiny Islands paid her no mind? She looked up at Maleficent, but wasn't sure how to phrase the question. A small, petty part of her also wanted her own secret to keep if Riku was going to have his. Instead of voicing her thoughts, she crossed her arms.

"I'm not helpless."

"I never said—!"

Maleficent held out her arm in front of Riku, and he immediately stopped talking.

"You are not a warrior. You may have been gifted the staff, but that does not mean you are capable of using it." Natsumi's cheeks flushed as she glared at Maleficent. "If you wish to travel the worlds, you must learn to wield it."

"Fine," Natsumi bit out. "How do I do that? Are you going to teach me?" she asked sarcastically.

Maleficent's gaze sharpened at her tone, but she only said, "All things in due time, child. For the moment, it is imperative that you rest." Then she turned her attention back to Riku. "Are you ready to depart?"

Natsumi's eyes widened, and she looked back and forth between Maleficent and Riku. Her hands clenched into fists around her blanket.

"You're leaving again?" she asked, not bothering to hide the accusation in her tone.

Riku looked away, refusing to meet her steady stare as his cheeks flushed.

"It's not like I want to, I told you, there's something I need to do."

"Mhmm, something. I heard you."

He scowled and finally looked her in the eye.

"You don't have to know everything, Natsu. Would you just trust me?" Natsumi gaped at the unfairness of this question. Trust him? Wasn't that what she'd been doing this whole time? When she didn't reply, Riku turned back towards Maleficent. "I'm ready."

Riku didn't wait for a response from either Natsumi or Maleficent before he turned and headed towards the door. Already, Natsumi regretted her attitude and harsh words, but the lump in her throat was back and seemed to prevent any more words from escaping. Maleficent watched him leave and then looked down at Natsumi.

"We will speak more on your studies when I return."

Unable to find her voice, Natsumi simply nodded. Then, she was alone, the door shutting quietly behind Maleficent. As soon as her visitors were gone she felt tears in her eyes and she wiped them away furiously. A soft caw caught her attention and, looking down through blurred eyes, she saw that Diablo was still with her. He'd hopped close to her again, peering up at her. She wasn't sure if the expression on his face was actually concerned or if she was just hoping it was.

Hesitantly, she reached forward and, when he made no sudden movement toward or away from her, pet his head softly. The feathers were softer than she'd anticipated, but what surprised her most was his willingness to let her pet him.

"Maybe I was wrong about you," she said softly.

The bird simply closed his eyes slowly. Something about the gesture made her frown as she got lost in thought. She did trust Riku, there was no question about that. But she'd never agreed to being left behind. Her expression hardened, and she reclaimed her hand from Diablo, the bird protesting with a tiny squawk that she ignored, along with the pain she caused by forcing herself up off the bed. The pain didn't stop when she stood up, forcing her to hunch slightly to relieve the pressure. Anything was better than being helplessly confined to her bed though.

Using the wall for support, she crossed the distance to her staff, letting out a short laugh as her fingers closed around it. Diablo cawed behind her and she turned to face him as fast as her bruise would allow. To her delight, the staff helped immensely in her attempts to move.

"Shut it," she told the crow, not entirely malicious in her excitement. "Nobody said I had to stay in bed, and it's not like you can make me." Diablo eyed her reproachfully. "If it bothers you so much, then come with me. But I'm not staying here."

She passed the bird none too carefully, walking over to the door as quickly as she could. When she reached it, she opened it slightly and looked back at Diablo. He'd made no move to follow her, but if her suspicions were correct and he had been watching her since she'd arrived at the castle, she thought she'd rather know where he was than wonder about it.

"Well? Are you coming or not?" Diablo seemed to hesitate for only a brief moment before following her across the room. He landed on the orb of her staff and ruffled his feathers with an indignant crow. "Yeah, yeah," she said. "Deal with it." With that statement and her resolve strengthened, she stepped decisively out of the bedroom and into the hallway.

* * *

 **A/N:** There were a lot of exchanges in this chapter that I was very excited to get to, and there are many more to come. Thanks for reading and, if you have time, please leave a review!


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14_

Treading through the corridors of the castle of Hollow Bastion was much more difficult when her body — and Diablo — protested every movement. It made the trek down to the entrance hall seem much longer than usual, and the stairs were a particularly grueling task. Though she kept expecting to run into Riku or Maleficent, the castle was empty and silent. Before she had found Riku again, she'd gotten used to the silence and the size of the castle. Walking through it with Diablo now reminded her of how she'd felt when she first arrived.

"Hush," she said, bringing her staff back down to the ground a little harder than necessary when the bird squawked at her. She shot a glare at him as she descended the final step. "You're the one who decided to come."

He ruffled his feathers disapprovingly at her, but she ignored him. She'd explored every inch of the castle she could reach, unable to make her way past the various locked doors she'd found — doors that intrigued her to no end, but were immovable. She knew that she wouldn't find anything of interest in any of the rooms available to her, so she wandered the castle aimlessly. Every so often she would come across one of these locked doors and each time gave the handle an experimental tug. But, just like every other time she tried, they remained steadfastly shut.

Natsumi glanced up at Diablo with a frown.

"Too bad you actually can't talk." She pressed her hand against the door, a short laugh passing her lips at the familiarity. "I bet you know what's in there. Don't you?"

The raven didn't deign to answer her. He simply held her gaze until she scoffed and pulled her hand away. Suddenly, she missed Kumo. The little Heartless wasn't any better of a conversationalist than Diablo, but at least with him she didn't have the nagging sense that he was clever enough to keep secrets. The more time she spent with Diablo, the clearer it was that he wasn't an ordinary bird, the fact that he couldn't talk notwithstanding.

Natsumi turned away from the door, letting her eyes rove aimlessly over the empty hall. She didn't think that any of the other doors would spontaneously unlock under her touch either, but she still didn't want to go to any of her usual haunts. She turned to the overly large doors at the end of the hallway and eyed them thoughtfully. From their size, she could only assume that they were the entrance to the castle. Her fingers had barely wrapped around the handle when Diablo cawed loudly, bursting up from his perch on her staff and flapping his wings wildly.

"Hey!" Natsumi threw up her hands to block the barrage of feathers against her face, her staff clattering loudly to the ground. "What the heck?"

Diablo only continued flapping his wings, screeching again.

"Knock it off! Get—" Huffing and still holding her arms in front of her face, she knelt down quickly and picked up her staff again. "Get out of here!" She swung the staff at him, narrowly missing as he quickly retreated.

The raven now sat atop a mean looking gargoyle statue, beak open in silent indignation. His feathers were fluffed, making him appear larger than he was.

"What's your problem?" He stared at her silently. "You don't want me to go outside?" Diablo's eyes narrowed at her, which she took as a yes. "Well tough. I'm not sitting cooped up inside waiting for somebody to give me permission to leave."

She scowled at the thought, ignoring as Diablo cawed at her again and opening the door. There was a whole world outside that she hadn't yet explored, and she wanted to see it.

The doors were stiff and opened slowly, but still she winced as the light assaulted her eyes. She hadn't realized just how drastically the old castle kept out any sort of light, having become accustomed to the way the shadows pooled in the corridors and alcoves. Outside of the doors there was a long parapet surrounding a brick walkway that disappeared around the edge of the castle. But that wasn't what caught her eye.

Beyond the parapet, the world stretched on, a large gorge between her and dark almost blue colored mountains, and further beyond that, what looked to be the hints of a town. Her breath caught in her throat and she rushed forward, leaning as far over the railing as she dared to try to get a better look. There were several stone platforms leading down to a larger platform with a tiled floor. The edges were chipped and uneven, as though the smaller platforms had broken away from it and somehow found their own orbit. Magic, she assumed. The rounded platforms moved in short patterns, and led all the way down into the basin, though she couldn't quite see where they ended.

The end of the basin itself was in her sight, the wall of it stretching up so high it would have completely obscured the hints of the city if she had been any lower. She grimaced slightly. There was a world beyond the castle and what she'd explored so far, but unless she found a way down that didn't involve jumping from floating platform to floating platform, she'd never be able to see it. Pulling back from the edge, she looked to her left — the only way she could continue walking.

She followed the path a short ways, expecting a set of stairs to become visible as she approached it, but when she reached the end, there was nothing but a sudden and dangerous drop. Looking down at the drop and being unable to see the bottom made her heart jump into her throat. Did this mean the castle itself was floating, or was its foundation simply obscured by the thick fog below? Was there really no way down except the floating platforms? She tried to imagine Maleficent jumping from platform to platform, lips twitching at the comical image. No, there had to be some other way down.

Natsumi looked around, but no solution was apparent. Frowning, she walked towards the balustrade again, even though she knew that there would be nothing there, just as there was nothing except the platforms over the first balustrade she'd looked over. Even so, she leaned over the railing, huffing a bit when her suspicions proved correct. Natsumi pulled back, wondering if she should just give up after all. Maleficent _did_ use those dark portals most of the time, so maybe there really was no other way out of the castle and into town.

Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw something start to glow. She turned her gaze toward the glowing light, finding that her staff was glowing, along with a jewel set in a pale pink stone pedestal she hadn't noticed before. She had just enough time to recognize that it matched the one at the lift inside the castle before its light blinded her and then faded to reveal another floating platform. One she could get to easily. Brushing off her surprise, she grinned and stepped forward onto the platform. As soon as she'd stepped completely onto the platform, it began to move, nearly knocking her to her knees with the suddenness of it.

A bright light enveloped the platform as it moved, obscuring her surroundings. She hadn't seen where the platform had come from, so she had no idea where it was taking her either. The platform moved so smoothly that, without being able to see the world around her as it passed by, she couldn't even tell if it was going up or down or in a straight line. If she hadn't almost fallen down earlier, she wouldn't have thought it was moving at all. For a brief moment she let herself wonder if the platform would disappear and leave her stranded down in the city. Then, it came to an abrupt stop, sending her stumbling again.

The light intensified before disappearing and Natsumi scowled, rubbing her eyes. It seemed like she was being blinded more often than not lately, and a part of her was suddenly grateful for how dim the lighting always was in the castle. She opened her eyes to see a small rocky area in front of her. At first glance, she thought it was a dead end, and she sighed heavily. But then, a shadow shifted beyond the rocks, revealing a path that wrapped around them and disappeared from sight.

She walked eagerly down the path, wondering where it led and hoping that it led to the town she had been able to see from the castle. Now all she could see was the cliff face, and a thin line of the pink sky above her. She couldn't even see the castle anymore, though it hadn't felt like the platform had carried her that far.

"Kumo?" she called, looking around as she walked.

She had assumed that the shadow she'd seen was the little Heartless, since he always seemed to appear to guide her when she needed him, but there was no sign of him or any other creature. The world outside seemed just as deserted as the castle was. Natsumi frowned. What could have happened to this world to make it so that its only inhabitants were her, Riku, and Maleficent?

Silence pressed in on her. She'd never noticed before how quiet it could be; the castle was full of noise, though she hadn't consciously noticed it at the time. The sounds of the old building settling on whatever foundation it rested on, the soft hiss of something making its way through the brass pipes that lined the walls and ceilings, there was always some sort of noise going on, soft as they were. But here, outside the castle, all was still. Not even a hint of wind stirred.

Natsumi felt goosebumps raise on her arms. Not for the first time, she wondered why Maleficent insisted they stay in the castle. Was this absence of people her doing, or was she actually trying to protect them from something? Maleficent's actions had her thoughts going in circles. She thought about calling out for Kumo again, but the silence seemed too heavy to break. Instead, she continued on as quietly as she could.

Suddenly, the world opened up in front of her as she found herself at the top of a large square. This time, there was a set of stairs she could descend, and directly opposite the platform she stood on, there were two others, though she couldn't have said how anyone was supposed to reach them. She saw several fountains throughout the square, none of them functional, the water in the pools turned dark and brackish. Ivy grew, wild and unrestrained up and across the blue colored bricks, a stark contrast to the lack of life within the fountains. The ivy clearly had no qualms about how deserted the world around it was.

Her eyes roved further across the square, finding the furthest platform from her had a darkened entryway with a set of stairs leading upwards. She stepped closer to the ledge, trying to get a better look, frowning when she saw that there was no way up to that doorway. Each side of the platform was a sheer wall, offering no aid in climbing up. Not that she could have climbed anything in her current state anyway. She frowned deeply, and after a moment longer, she turned away, heading back the way she came.

She continued like this, walking through the abandoned city and realizing that there was a second pathway she had missed entirely when she'd first arrived. A thrill coursed through her at the sight, and she quickened her steps, ignoring the way her side ached and protested the movement. She was rewarded for her curiosity when this second path opened up to a small plaza in front of her. Here were the houses whose roofs were the only thing she'd been able to see from up in the castle, and as she walked closer, she could see more and more.

It wasn't until she'd reached the middle of the square that she noticed it. All of the houses were dark. The cobblestone pathways were in disrepair, and the roofs, that had seemed whole from a distance, were littered with holes. The silence continued to loom ominously around her. Her eyes glanced furtively around and her fingers clenched tighter around her staff.

"Kumo?" she tried again. Her voice was barely a whisper, but even that felt too loud for this place. The little Heartless did not appear.

The door of the nearest home had been left ajar, and beyond it lay shadows and dust. Despite this, or maybe because of it, she crossed the square towards it. She hesitated only briefly with her hand outstretched towards the door before pushing it open gently and calling out, "Hello?" Nobody answered, and once her eyes adjusted to the dimness, she could see why. The home was empty, books haphazardly strewn across the floor from the bookcase to the crumpled up rug pinned beneath an overturned chair.

Her stomach turned as she took in the sight, finding more signs of distress the longer she looked, and dust settled over the entire scene. Slowly, she began to creep out of the doorway, back into the daylight, though she couldn't bring herself to close the door. Her fingers were starting to ache, joining the ache in her side, and she suddenly realized how very helpless she was. She whirled around, breath catching in her throat.

While she'd been immersed in the frantic nature of the abandoned home, Heartless had begun to fill the square. Some were the small shadows she'd grown used to with Kumo's presence, but more of them were larger, and far more threatening. They all eyed her blankly, winged Heartless hovering in place, while still others stood silently behind their shields. Every muscle in her body was frozen, though her brain was screaming at her to retreat into the house and bar the door. And yet, it felt like a delicate balance had been struck and if she so much as breathed wrong, they would pounce.

Then, as if they could hear her thoughts, the Heartless surged forward all at once.

Her eyes widened and then closed as she held up her staff to try to ward them off, knowing that there was no way she'd be able to fight them. Their wings beat the air loudly enough that she could hear them, even with the thundering footsteps of the larger Heartless, and then all at once, with a blinding green flash that pierced through her eyelids, everything went silent.

"Go," a familiar voice said imperiously. Natsumi opened her eyes just as something crashed against the cobblestones. "Begone with you."

Maleficent stood in front of her, arms extended and Natsumi watched, still frozen, as all the Heartless were simultaneously engulfed in green flames. Her breath caught in her throat, eyes glued to the place where the Heartless disappeared. Even when Maleficent turned her attention to Natsumi, she didn't move.

"Well? Explain yourself."

Natsumi looked up at Maleficent, and found herself entirely speechless. She was still trying to process the disappearance of the Heartless, those green flames seared into her eyelids.

"I… I just wanted…" Her restless wandering seemed far more reckless now than it had when she'd been angry with Riku and confined to her bed. Cheeks burning, she couldn't hold eye contact with Maleficent. Despite all her protests, it seemed she really _couldn't_ take care of herself. "...to see what was out here," she finished.

"Foolish girl. Perhaps if you'd heeded my advice from the start, you'd be better suited to protect yourself."

Maleficent's gaze was scathing as she looked Natsumi up and down. Natsumi felt a spark of annoyance at her judgment.

"Well maybe if somebody would actually help me, I would be!"

It wasn't as though she hadn't been trying. She'd been poring over books since she'd arrived on Hollow Bastion, practicing every day to try to perform magic, but she had no proper teacher. No one to direct her and show her what she was doing wrong or how to improve. Maleficent's accusation reminded her of the way Riku said she couldn't go with him and infuriated her with its unfairness.

"Silence," Maleficent commanded, and Natsumi's eyes narrowed. "Have you forgotten already? I said we would discuss your studies upon my return."

"Then does that mean—"

"Come."

Maleficent lifted her arm, and a dark portal appeared. She gestured for Natsumi to enter first, and, with one last look around the abandoned town, she did so. It made sense now how Maleficent got to and from the castle — being able to open a portal anywhere she wanted left very little room for limitations.

"Can I learn how to do that?" Natsumi asked as they emerged from the portal back in her bedroom. The sight of her bed made her realize all at once how tired she truly was, and she sat down heavily on the edge of it.

"In time," Maleficent replied. "There are a great number of other lessons you will need first."

"Like what? Will you—" She lifted her hand to stifle a yawn. "—be teaching me?"

"No. I have enlisted the help of an associate of mine."

That caught Natsumi's attention.

"An associate?" It was the first she was hearing of Maleficent speaking with anybody besides Diablo and Jafar, and she wondered just how far the woman's reach extended.

"Indeed. She will instruct you in the ways of magic, and show you how to properly wield that staff."

"When will I meet her?" Natsumi held her breath. It seemed too good to be true that she was finally getting what she'd wanted since she found the first book of magic.

"Tomorrow." Maleficent began to turn towards the door. "I will fetch you when the time is right. Ensure that you are ready."

"I will."

Maleficent's lips curved upwards, ever so slightly, before she turned away from Natsumi completely.

"Marvelous," she said, and then she was gone.

Natsumi stared after her for a moment longer before allowing herself to fall backwards on her bed. She was exhausted, and the pain in her side was making itself known now more than it had when she'd walked through the town. Even that couldn't banish the small smile from her face.

Something was _finally_ going right, and tomorrow, she'd begin learning magic from a teacher, and not a dusty old book. She couldn't wait to tell Riku.

* * *

 **A/N:** This has been a long time coming and I'm so sorry for that! I couldn't figure out how to properly write the scene between Maleficent and Natsumi, and it was crucial I get it right. On top of that, Curryfury and I are still going strong on Lucky0Stars, so that takes up a lot of time, haha! But this story is still a priority and I definitely plan to continue putting out chapters.

To the anon who reviewed Habitual Sinner (if you by some chance see this), I haven't forgotten that story either, I swear, even if it seems like it. Chapter two is in the works, it's just that this story and the blog are my priorities right now. I'm working on it, so I hope you keep checking in, but I can't make any promises.

As always, thanks for reading, and if you have time, please review!


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